'Gangwon National University Hospital', Which Posted 16 Job Announcements in 2 Years, Faces Emergency Room Staffing Shortage Challenges

'First Time Since Opening' Adult Nighttime Medical Services Indefinitely Suspended

Chuncheon Gangwon National University Hospital, which indefinitely suspended adult nighttime emergency care at its emergency medical center due to a shortage of emergency medicine specialists, is expected to take time to normalize emergency room treatment due to recruitment difficulties.

According to Yonhap News on the 3rd, Gangwon National University Hospital has posted recruitment announcements 16 times over the past two years to hire emergency room doctors but is struggling with recruitment difficulties. Recently, two of the five specialists at Gangwon National University Hospital took leave, making 24-hour operation impossible. As a result, adult nighttime treatment has been indefinitely suspended since 6 p.m. on the 2nd.

On the 2nd, a notice about night-time treatment restrictions was posted at the Emergency Medical Center of Gangwon National University Hospital. There were a total of five specialists working at the Emergency Medical Center of Gangwon National University Hospital, but two of them are currently on leave.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier, on July 1st, the hospital posted a recruitment announcement for six doctors, including five emergency medicine specialists and one dedicated emergency room doctor. The hospital continues to post announcements on doctor recruitment communities, but it remains difficult to secure personnel.

This is the first time since its opening that Gangwon National University Hospital has partially suspended emergency room operations. The hospital plans to maintain normal treatment during the Chuseok holiday period (15th to 18th) and for pediatric and adolescent departments, but the timing for full normalization of treatment is undecided. It is reported that residents who visited the hospital emergency room from 6 p.m. the previous day to 9 a.m. on the day were unable to receive treatment. Most emergency patients reportedly sighed and moved to nearby Hallym University Hospital or Inseong Hospital.

Regarding the difficulty in recruiting personnel despite efforts, Gangwon National University Hospital attributed it to the limitations of regional healthcare and the avoidance of emergency medicine. A hospital official told Yonhap News on the 3rd, "We believe that the high workload and stress associated with 24/7 operation, the burden of legal disputes related to patient acceptance, exposure to violence such as intoxicated patients, and the risk of medical lawsuits are linked to the recruitment difficulties."

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing emergency room crisis, the government decided to additionally deploy military doctors to Gangwon National University Hospital, Sejong Chungnam Hospital, and Ewha Mokdong Hospital starting from the 4th. Five military doctors will be assigned to Gangwon National University Hospital. The government announced that 406 out of 409 emergency rooms, accounting for 99%, operate 24 hours a day. As of the 2nd, 5,925 emergency medical institution beds were in use, which is 97.6% of the usual 6,069 beds.

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