South Korea health alert raised to 'severe' over doctors walkout

South Korea will maximize the use of public hospitals to respond to growing strains on the medical system after a mass walkout by trainee doctors, the prime minister said on Friday. 

At present, public health alert in South Korea was elevated to the highest level. The protests by almost two-thirds of the country's young doctors have forced hospitals to turn away patients and cancel procedures, raising fears about further disruption to the medical system. "The operation of public medical institutions will be raised to the maximum level," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said at the opening of a disaster management meeting.