One in Three CT Scanners at Hospitals and Clinics Nationwide Is Over 10 Years Old

NHIS Visualizes CT Equipment Status at Medical Institutions with National Map
CT Scans Surge 33% in Five Years... Ulsan's Obsolescence Rate Highest Nationwide at 52%
Concerns Over Declining Equipment Quality... "Urgent Management Needed for Patient Safety"

One out of every three computed tomography (CT) scanners currently in use at hospitals and clinics in South Korea is over 10 years old, indicating that a significant portion of the equipment is outdated. In particular, the obsolescence rate of CT scanners at local clinic-level medical institutions has reached 40%, raising concerns about patient safety due to potential deterioration in imaging quality and excessive radiation exposure.

As of the end of 2024, the nationwide hospital CT obsolescence rate. National Health Insurance Service.

The National Health Insurance Service released the “National CT Equipment Status Map” on March 12, which analyzed detailed equipment data from healthcare institutions for the years 2020 to 2024.

The survey found that, as of the end of 2024, the number of CT scanners at domestic medical institutions stood at 2,416 units, a 14.3% increase compared to 2,113 units in 2020. During this period, the number of CT scans surged by 33.3%, from approximately 11.05 million to 14.74 million cases.

As of 2024, the number of CT scanners per 100,000 people was 4.4 in the Seoul metropolitan area and 5.1 in non-metropolitan regions, meaning non-metropolitan areas had a higher per capita ownership rate than the capital region. Daegu, Gwangju, and North Jeolla Province each recorded over 6.0 units per 100,000 people, exceeding the national average of 4.7 units, while some metropolitan areas such as Gyeonggi Province (3.7 units) and Incheon (4.1 units) fell below the average.

By contrast, the proportion of “outdated CT scanners”—those over 10 years old since manufacture—has increased annually, rising from 32.6% in 2020 to 34.5% in 2024. Among regions, Ulsan had the highest CT obsolescence rate in the country at 52.1%, followed by Gwangju, Busan, Gangwon, Daegu, and Incheon.

As of the end of 2024, the nationwide aging rate of clinic CT scanners. National Health Insurance Service.

By type of medical institution, the smaller the facility, the higher the proportion of outdated equipment. The obsolescence rate was highest at clinics (39.8%), followed by hospitals (34.5%), general hospitals (32.8%), and tertiary general hospitals (28.6%). Among clinics, Ulsan, Gangwon, Busan, Daegu, and South Gyeongsang Province had particularly high CT obsolescence rates. For hospitals, the highest rates were seen in Ulsan, Gwangju, Busan, North Jeolla Province, and Seoul. Among general hospitals, Jeju, South Chungcheong Province, Busan, Gwangju, and North Gyeongsang Province showed the highest rates.

In terms of performance, more than nine out of ten (94.8%) CT scanners with fewer than 16 channels were outdated. While the obsolescence rate for sub-16-channel CT scanners was similar nationwide, the rate for 16-channel and above CT scanners was higher in Ulsan, Gwangju, Busan, and Daejeon.

Jung Seungeun, President of the Korean Society of Radiology, emphasized, "Outdated CT scanners are not just an issue of age; they reduce image quality, increase the likelihood of repeat scans, and make radiation exposure management more difficult. Since these issues can directly affect the reliability of diagnoses, it is crucial to implement precise management policies tailored to the characteristics of each region and type of medical institution."

Jung Kiseok, President of the National Health Insurance Service, stated, "By continuously monitoring and visualizing regional equipment status using the QGIS program utilized in this project, we will continue to review measures to manage outdated equipment and rationalize the allocation of local healthcare resources."

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