Small South Korea towns bear brunt of doctor shortage

STORY: As South Korean trainee doctors continue a strike against government plans to boost medical student quotas, hospitals in some smaller cities say they desperately need more physicians.

Here at the Incheon Medical Center, director Cho Seung-yeong says the city can't compete with its neighbor, capital Seoul, which boasts top-level hospitals.

"Doctors are avoiding rural areas and flocking to major cities or the capital region for their medical practice. This has emerged as an urgent and critical issue that needs to be addressed right away."

South Korea has 2.6 doctors for every 1,000 people.

It's one of the lowest rates among developed countries, according to global economic development group, the OECD.

In contrast, top-ranked Austria has 5.5 for every 1,000 people.

The shortage is at the heart of the reform plans to increase medical school admissions by thousands of students starting next year.

But the junior doctors, backed by other medical groups, are now entering their third month of protests against the plans, saying the government needs to first address issues of their poor working conditions.

While the stalemate goes on, Cho says part of his hospital's kidney dialysis unit has been closed for two years because they couldn't get a doctor.

And its cardiology department has resorted to using roving physicians from a nearby university hospital after failing to hire permanent staff.

This week, the Korea Medical Association, a leading critic of the government's reforms, accused Cho and another staffer of using unlicensed personnel for some medical procedures.

Cho denies those claims, a hospital spokesperson told Reuters.

With the shortage set to worsen as South Korea's population ages, Cho said policies must change to ensure new doctors work in underserved areas.

He also believes adding more practitioners was a necessary first step.

Bearing the brunt of the situation are, of course, the patients.

Like 82-year-old Yoon Geum-ja, who recently had some trouble finding a hospital that could treat her pelvic fracture.

She says she appreciates South Korea's healthcare system now, but added that she is worried there won’t be enough doctors around in future.