"No matter how much the salary, they absolutely won't go"… 270 doctors left provinces in 5 years

Decrease in Doctors Also Worsens Regional Imbalance of Nurses

Recently, it has been reported that local medical centers frequently face situations where there are no doctors available, leading to offers of annual salaries worth several hundred million won or multiple recruitment announcements.

Amid this, the shortage of medical personnel in local areas has become increasingly severe. Even doctors who are about to retire or have already retired prefer to work in Seoul and the metropolitan area rather than in local regions.

According to an analysis of regional medical usage statistics by the Korean Nurses Association (KNA), over the past five years, out of 98 medically underserved areas nationwide, 52 have seen a decrease in the number of doctors.

Specifically, there are 10 places in Gyeongbuk, 9 in Gangwon, 9 in Gyeongnam, 8 in Jeonnam, 6 in Jeonbuk, 4 each in Chungnam and Chungbuk, and 1 each in Incheon and Gyeonggi, with a total of 270 doctors having left.

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The shortage of personnel is not limited to doctors. The KNA explained that as the number of doctors decreases, hospitals and clinics also decline, causing nurses to leave medically underserved areas in search of employment.

The reasons doctors avoid working in medically underserved areas include living infrastructure incomparable to Seoul and the metropolitan area, and relatively poor working conditions. Even doctors who have retired or are about to retire prefer to work in Seoul and Gyeonggi regions rather than in local areas.

According to a survey conducted by the Korean Medical Association from January 13 to 20, 2021, targeting 27,358 members aged 60 and over (retired or soon to retire) nationwide, the top preferred post-retirement work location was Seoul (22.7%), followed by Gyeonggi (18.1%).

Additionally, when asked, "If you were to be re-employed, would you be willing to move to that area?" 50.9% responded "No," exceeding half.

In this regard, the KNA pointed out, "This year, the admission quota for nursing colleges between the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas is at a ratio of 2 to 8, with more increases in regions where doctors have left for Seoul or large cities and hospitals have decreased," adding, "Although 8 out of 10 nursing departments are located in non-metropolitan areas, hospitals for clinical practice are concentrated in the metropolitan area, forcing nursing students to travel far for practical training."

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