Emergency Room‍ Physician Shortage Continues: High Salaries Fail to Attract Doctors

Major hospitals across the country are struggling ⁤to secure doctors to work in emergency rooms, despite offering high salaries. The shortage of doctors is so severe that⁣ even hospitals offering salaries of 400 million won are having a hard⁢ time recruiting doctors.

The‍ National Medical‍ Center has‌ re-advertised the urgent hiring of three emergency medicine ‍specialists on a contract basis, with an annual salary of ⁣400 million won and a contract period until the end of next year.‌ This is not the ⁤first time the hospital has posted job openings ​for emergency medicine specialists this year, having already ⁣done so several times since ⁣July.

Sejong Chungnam National University⁢ Hospital has stopped its emergency room night clinics due to a lack of personnel. The ‍hospital is working hard to recruit emergency medicine​ specialists but has been unable to ⁢secure personnel due to⁤ issues with salary and other working conditions. The annual salary ⁢at ‌Sejong Chungnam⁢ National University ​Hospital is around​ 350 million⁣ won, which⁣ is lower than what nearby⁢ large hospitals are offering.

All seven emergency medicine specialists‍ at Konkuk ⁤University Chungju Hospital have submitted their resignations, ⁣with only two remaining after the‌ hospital offered them a salary increase. At ​Ajou University ‌Hospital,⁤ the number of emergency medicine specialists in charge of adult patients has ⁤decreased from 14 ⁣to 11, with four more expressing their intention to resign.

As of last month, ⁢the number of emergency medicine specialists⁣ working at emergency ⁣medical centers nationwide was 1,484, an increase ⁤of 66 from the fourth quarter of last year. However, as‌ resignations continue, especially in public hospitals and regional hospitals with ‌poor working conditions, community emergency‌ medical care is bound to ​face difficulties.

The ‌medical ​community reports that⁤ the fatigue of ⁤emergency medicine specialists has reached its limit since ⁤the ‍mass resignation of residents in February. Even with the assistance of practice‌ support⁤ (PA)​ nurses,⁢ there ‍is not ⁢much real ⁤change since they cannot‌ perform treatment or prescriptions.

The number of emergency medicine residents working at emergency medical centers nationwide decreased by 537 from 591 in the fourth quarter⁣ of ​last‌ year to ⁣54 as of last ⁤month. The number ⁣of general practitioners and⁣ interns decreased by⁢ 188 from 243 to 35.

There is speculation ​that the difficulty in recruiting personnel will continue due to the ⁣high intensity of emergency medicine work and poor living conditions at regional hospitals.

Source: Yonhap News