Health minister doubles down on medical school quota hike

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Wednesday reiterated the government’s hardline stance on increasing medical recruitment by 2,000 starting next year.

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong speaks during a forum hosted by the Korea News Editors' Association in downtown Seoul on Wednesday. The forum was held to discuss the country's medical reforms amid the ongoing mass walkout of junior doctors who oppose the government's planned medical recruitment hike. [YONHAP]

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Wednesday reiterated the government’s hardline stance on increasing medical recruitment by 2,000 starting next year.

“The surge in medical demand and lack of personnel is an immediate crisis [faced by the country] given our changing demographics, like population aging,” the minister said during a forum hosted by the Korea News Editors’ Association in central Seoul.

The minister added that the government will continue to discuss improving the quality of medical education and the working conditions of junior doctors with medical professionals.

During the forum, Cho warned that shortages in essential fields, such as high-risk surgeries and emergency medicine, were imminent, given the fall in trainee doctors applying for pediatrics, the lack of doctors in emergency rooms and the concentration of physicians in the capital region at the expense of rural and provincial areas.

“Over the past five years since 2017, 3,752 patients died while being retransferred to other hospitals because there was no local doctor available,” Cho said.

“Residents in 98 of 226 localities nationwide cannot receive emergency treatment within an hour's distance," the minister said, adding that these figures "clearly show the dark underbelly of the country’s health care system."

According to the minister, the increase in medical school admissions spots was decided after surveying 40 medical schools nationwide and considering the long-term supply and demand of doctors.

He also said that three separate national research institutes predicted that the country would face a shortage of 10,000 doctors by 2035.

“If doctors think this figure is unscientific, I would like to know what number they think would be logically appropriate to balance the supply and demand [for medical professionals],” Cho said, adding that doctors’ groups opposed to the quota increase have never suggested a figure.

In response to doctors' claims that shortages of medical professionals in rural areas and essential fields could be resolved if the government first improves compensation in low-paying sectors, the government said it plans to inject 10 trillion won ($7.4 billion) into improving conditions in essential medical fields.

When asked about the government’s specific plan, the minister said details would be decided after discussing them with medical professionals.

The minister reiterated the urgent need to increase the medical school enrollment quota, explaining why the government rejected the suggestion made by medical professors at Seoul National University to postpone the plan for a year.

“[The government] decided it should not take another path knowing a medical shortage is all but certain ten years later,” he said.

Doctors’ groups have argued that increased recruitment will degrade the quality of education.

However, the minister said the two-year program of pre-medical courses would leave enough time to prepare for the change. He said doctors should give suggestions on improving the quality of education rather than leaving patients behind by walking out on their jobs.

With the ongoing walkout extending possibly beyond the April 10 general election, the government is currently forming an emergency medical system to deal with staffing shortages, the minister said.

“[The ministry] will improve and enhance measures to fulfill our duty to protect people’s health."

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]