The National Center for Mental Health in eastern Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — State-run mental health centers are grappling with a severe shortage of doctors amidst increasing calls for the national government to take stronger responsibility for severe mental health patients in the wake of a series of stabbing rampages.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the current month has seen a total of 30 psychiatrists working across the country’s five national mental health centers, accounting for just 37.5 percent of the total 80 positions available.
At the National Center for Mental Health in Seoul, a mere 13 out of the 39 psychiatrist positions have been successfully filled.
Both Bugok National Hospital and Gongju National Hospital are facing a situation where only three out of the 11 available psychiatrist positions are occupied.
Meanwhile, the Chuncheon National Hospital has been struggling to secure any psychiatrists to fill the seven allocated positions for doctors, until a recent development saw two psychiatrists, including the hospital director, joining its staff.
In a relatively more favorable scenario, Naju National Hospital currently boasts nine psychiatrists, although this still falls short of fully staffing all 12 positions.
The primary cause behind this doctor shortage can be attributed to an inadequate compensation system in comparison to that of private clinics.
As of 2020, psychiatrists working in private mental health clinics are earning a yearly salary of 235.8 million won (US$176,900).
In stark contrast, the income structure at national mental health centers adheres to the wage regulations designed for public servants, translating to a mere 30 to 50 percent of what their counterparts earn in private clinics, as highlighted by the government.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
