SEOUL, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Tuesday asked hospitals to swiftly accept the resignations of trainee doctors who have left their worksites in protest of the government's medical reform, in an apparent move to appease the junior doctors. About 12,000 trainee doctors have walked off their jobs since late February to protest against a hike in the number of medical students. In a punitive step, the government ordered hospitals not to accept the resignations of trainee doctors to prevent them from seeking jobs at other clinics. Cho asked training hospitals to make the utmost efforts to persuade trainee doctors to return to work and "stabilize" hospitals by the end of this month. "For trainee doctors who find it difficult to return," Cho said that hospitals should swiftly accept their resignations. This would allow trainee doctors who have defied the government's return-to-work order to seek jobs at other hospitals. The health minister, meanwhile, welcomed the latest efforts made by the medical commu nity to launch a committee under the Korea Medical Association to facilitate potential talks with the government. "If the medical community lends a hand, we can take a step closer to a medical reform that benefits the people, patients, doctors and medical staff," Cho said, noting the government is willing to engage in dialogue at any time. During a separate briefing, the health ministry said it is also making efforts to address the demands made by trainee doctors. Such measures include establishing an organization to scientifically calculate the supply of doctors, employing more trainee doctors at training hospitals, creating legal protections for unavoidable medical accidents, and improving the working environment. "We are speeding up the discussion regarding the demands suggested by the junior doctors' group and making efforts to implement them," said Kwon Byung-ki, the director general for essential health care. "The government will offer all necessary support to ensure junior doctors receive training in a better environment." The KMA, meanwhile, announced it will not begin an indefinite walkout Thursday as previously planned. Instead, the group's committee will hold a meeting Saturday to decide how it will proceed with such a walkout. The health minister also expressed regret over plans by medical professors at some major hospitals to launch a walkout, calling for them to prioritize the lives of patients. Medical professors at three major hospitals of Yonsei University -- Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yongin Severance Hospital -- earlier voted to stage an indefinite walkout Thursday. Source: Yonhap News Agency