Hospitals in South Korea's smaller cities are expressing their desperation for more physicians, as a stalemate drags on between policymakers and trainee doctors, who are entering a third month of their protest against plans to tackle the shortage by boosting medical school admissions.

Seoul

Hospitals in smaller cities across South Korea are currently facing a significant challenge in recruiting physicians, amid ongoing protests by trainee doctors. The protests, now in their third month, are a response to government plans aimed at addressing the doctor shortage by increasing medical school admissions. The current stalemate between policymakers and the protesting trainee doctors highlights the growing crisis in Korean healthcare, particularly in less urbanized areas.

In Incheon, a city struggling to compete with the capital, Seoul, the local medical center exemplifies the dire need for more medical staff. Director Cho Seong-yong of the Incheon Medical Center has voiced concerns over the difficulty in attracting doctors to smaller cities and rural areas, as many prefer to work in major urban centers. This disparity has led to urgent calls for solutions to mitigate the healthcare workforce crisis across the nation. South Korea's doctor-to-population ratio stands at 2.6 per 1,000 people, one of the lowest among developed countries, according to data from the OECD.

The government's reform plan intends to tackle the shortage by boosting the number of medical students. However, this proposal has faced opposition from junior doctors and other medical groups, who argue that issues such as poor working conditions need to be addressed first. The impact of the doctor shortage is felt across several departments, with part of the kidney dialysis unit at Incheon Medical Center closed for two years due to the inability to hire a doctor, and its cardiology department having to rely on visiting physicians from a nearby university hospital.

Amid these challenges, allegations have arisen against the Incheon Medical Center for using unlicensed personnel for medical procedures, claims that have been denied by the center. The aging population of South Korea only anticipates an exacerbation of the doctor shortage, prompting calls for policy changes to ensure new doctors are distributed to underserved areas. Patients, especially the elderly, are experiencing the consequences of the shortage, with some struggling to find adequate treatment for their conditions.



Small South Korea towns bear brunt of doctor shortage

As South Korean trainee doctors continue a strike against government plans to boost medical student quotas, hospitals in some smaller cities say they desperately need more physicians. Here at the Incheon Medical Center, Director Cho Seong-yong says the city can't compete with its neighbor, capital Seoul, which boasts top-level hospitals. Doctors are avoiding rural areas and flocking to major cities or the capital region for their medical practice. This has emerged as an urgent and critical issue that needs to be addressed right away. South Korea has 2.6 doctors for every 1,000 people. It's one of the lowest rates among developed countries, according to the Global Economic Development Group, the OECD. In contrast, top-ranked Austria has 5.5 for every 1,000 people. The shortage is at the heart of the reform plans to increase medical school admissions by thousands of students starting next year. But the junior doctors, backed by other medical groups, are now entering the third month of protests against the plans, saying the government needs to first address issues of their poor working conditions. While the stalemate goes on, Cho says part of his hospital's kidney dialysis unit has been closed for two years because they couldn't get a doctor. And its cardiology department has resorted to using roving physicians from a nearby university hospital after failing to hire permanent staff. This week, the Korea Medical Association, a leading critic of the government reforms, accused Cho and another staffer of using unlicensed personnel for some medical procedures. Cho denies those claims, a hospital spokesperson told Reuters. With the shortage set to worsen as South Korea's population ages, Cho said policies must change to ensure new doctors work in underserved areas. He also believes adding more practitioners was a necessary first step. Bearing the brunt of the situation are, of course, the patients. Like 82-year-old Yoon Geum-ja, who recently had some trouble finding a hospital that could treat her pelvic fracture. She says she appreciates South Korea's healthcare system now, but added that she is worried there won't be enough doctors around in future.

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