[2022 National Audit] Local Medical Centers Struggle to Recruit Doctors... Vacancy Rate at 14.5%

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The vacancy rate for doctors at 35 regional medical centers nationwide has nearly doubled compared to four years ago.

On the 5th, Kim Won-i, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, analyzed data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and found that the vacancy rate at 35 regional medical centers increased from 7.6% in 2018 to 14.5% this year.

The vacancy rate for doctors at regional medical centers was 7.6% in 2018, rising to 12.3% in 2019, then 11.5% in 2020, and 13.8% in 2021. As of last month, it increased to 14.5%. Although the number of doctor positions increased from 1,037 in 2018 to 1,266 this year, 184 positions have yet to be filled.

Over the past five years, the region with the highest vacancy rate was Jeonnam (25.9%). Daegu (20.9%), Jeju (17.4%), and Jeonbuk (16.6%) followed. As of last month, the region with the highest vacancy rate was also Jeonnam (25.8%), where 16 out of 62 positions remained unfilled. Additionally, among the 35 regional medical centers, 24 locations, including Jeonbuk (26.1%), Chungbuk (21.3%), and Daegu (20.5%), were unable to recruit doctors.

Furthermore, most regional medical centers were found to lack doctors in essential medical departments. Among the 35 regional medical centers, 23 centers (65.7%) had doctors in all four essential departments (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics). When expanded to six essential departments (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Thoracic Surgery, Urology), only 8 out of 35 centers (22.9%) had doctors in all these departments.

Assemblyman Kim Won-i stated, "As the avoidance of essential medical services increases, it is expected that providing medical services at medical institutions in vulnerable areas such as regional medical centers will become difficult," and added, "The government must do its best to strengthen essential medical services and reduce regional medical disparities by expanding doctor quotas, improving treatment conditions, and introducing a regional doctor system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.