SEJONG, The health ministry said Tuesday it plans to increase the number of medical students by 2,000 next year, in a bid to address the chronic shortages of doctors in rural areas and the essential health care field.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare made the announcement following a policy meeting earlier in the day in a bid to raise the medical school quota that has been capped at 3,058 since 2006.
The plan, however, is expected to draw fierce protests from doctors, who claim that establishing public hospitals and offering better salaries would be more effective to encourage doctors to work in rural areas and the essential health care field.
Earlier in the day, the Korean Medical Association, a lobby group of doctors, warned that it would launch a nationwide strike if the government “unilaterally” pushes for raising the medical school enrollment quota.
The country has been grappling with a shortage of doctors in crucial areas, as medical professionals tend to prefer practicing in nonessential areas w
ith lower risks. In contrast, the demand for emergency care has surged in the wake of the aging population.
Enrollment in medical schools, initially at 3,507 in the early 2000s, had experienced a gradual decline through 2006. This reduction was attributed to government efforts to address the concerns of doctors protesting the policy of separating the prescribing and dispensing of drugs.
The government’s efforts to increase the number of doctors later gained momentum in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the previous day, the Korean Intern Resident Association said that its poll of around 10,000 doctors showed that 88.2 percent of the respondents will carry out collective actions, including strikes, should the government proceed with raising the medical school quota.
Amid the strong protest from the medical circle, South Korea vowed to provide a set of incentives for the medical community last week, including allocating 10 trillion won (US$7.5 billion) by 2028 to enhance compensation for medical service
s in crucial areas.
The government said it will also institute a “safety net” to limit doctors’ criminal liability in cases of malpractice, aiming to allow health care professionals to prioritize emergency treatments while ensuring swift compensation for patients.
According to the data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the number of doctors for every 1,000 people came to 2.6 in South Korea, far below the member countries’ average of 3.7.
Separate research conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs showed that on average, South Koreans spent 4.3 minutes during their primary meeting with doctors, compared with the OECD members’ average of 16.4 minutes.
The health ministry anticipates the country to experience a shortage of 15,000 doctors in 2035.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
