A fierce “recruitment war” is unfolding across South Korea as hospitals scramble to staff their emergency rooms. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – A fierce “recruitment war” is unfolding across South Korea as hospitals scramble to staff their emergency rooms, highlighting a growing crisis in the country’s healthcare system.
Some hospitals are offering annual salaries of up to 400 million won for emergency medicine specialists, yet still struggle to fill positions. The situation has led to a domino effect of doctor relocations, with many leaving regional hospitals for better conditions in the Seoul metropolitan area.
The National Medical Center in Seoul recently posted an urgent recruitment notice for three contract emergency medicine specialists, offering an annual salary of 400 million won for a contract period ending next year.
This is not the first time the hospital has advertised such high salaries, indicating an ongoing staffing crisis.
Regional hospitals are facing even greater challenges. Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital had to suspend nighttime emergency services due to staff shortages.
The hospital’s emergency center, originally operated by 15 doctors, has seen a series of resignations, leaving it severely understaffed.
“Emergency medicine specialists are moving to hospitals offering annual salaries exceeding 400 million won,” said a hospital official who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The exodus is not limited to a few institutions. Konkuk University Chungju Hospital saw five out of seven emergency specialists resign, with two moving to large hospitals in Seoul. Ajou University Hospital’s adult emergency department has shrunk from 14 specialists to 11.
This shift is exacerbating the imbalance between metropolitan and regional hospitals. While the total number of emergency medicine specialists nationwide has remained relatively stable — increasing from 1,418 in the fourth quarter of last year to 1,484 as of August 21 — the distribution is becoming increasingly skewed towards urban areas.
Ambulances are on standby at the emergency center of a major hospital in Seoul on Sept. 3, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
“Emergency medicine specialists tend to move frequently, as they don’t have regular patients,” explained a professor of emergency medicine in Seoul.
“It’s natural for doctors to seek positions with less burden and better treatment.”
The crisis has been compounded by the mass resignation of medical residents in February. A typical emergency room in a general hospital used to be staffed by five to seven doctors, including one or two specialists, two or three residents, and two interns. Now, many are left with only specialists.
As of August 21, the total number of doctors working in emergency rooms, including specialists, general practitioners, and residents, had dropped to 73.4% of normal levels. The number of emergency medicine residents nationwide had plummeted from 591 in the fourth quarter of last year to just 54.
The situation is creating a vicious cycle. As more doctors leave, the burden on those who remain increases, leading to further resignations. “Emergency rooms could collapse as doctors leave one after another,” warned an emergency medicine specialist in Seoul.
The crisis extends beyond emergency rooms. “Backup care,” which involves follow-up treatment or surgery for patients treated in the ER, is also at risk. Even if the number of emergency medicine specialists remains stable, the lack of residents and other staff means hospitals cannot accept and treat patients as they normally would.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
