Doctors in South Korea are giving up on paediatrics, sparking major health concern. Know why

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South Korea is undergoing a unique crisis. There is a huge shortage of paediatricians, with the majority leaving their practice thinking the field has no future. The hospitals are unable to fill the positions, sparking a major health concern for the children of the country.

In the capital city of Seoul, the number of paediatric clinics and hospitals has fallen to just 456, down 12.5 per cent over the last five years. In the first half of 2022, the hospitals were able to secure the services of only 16.3 per cent of the paediatricians they sought, compared to 97.4 per cent in 2013.

Why are doctors giving up paediatrics?

The root cause of the problem, according to paediatricians, is the decline in the birth rate which fell to 0.78 in 2022. Combined with the failure of the insurance system to adapt, it has left the doctors with no way but to shun the field they believe has hit a dead-end.

Notably, when the birth rate was healthy in the Asian country, paediatricians could manage with the low-price, high-volume model. However, since the dip in birth rates, the low fee has become a severe problem and insurance services have not revised their prices to keep up with the changing times.

"In foreign countries, the government pays enough to maintain the hospital even if you see 20 patients a day. But it's about $10 per treatment in Korea, so clinics have to see about 80 patients a day," said Dr Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Pediatric Association.

Paediatricians are South Korea’s lowest-paid doctors, making 57 per cent less than the average doctor's salary, according to data accessed from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

Long waiting queues

The shortage of doctors for children means that parents are having to endure long waiting periods for the treatment of sick children.

"Patients dying while bouncing around multiple emergency rooms, dying when it's not a serious disease, it's a travesty," Dr Choi Yong-jae, vice president of the Korea Children's Hospital Association, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has acknowledged the problem and said measures were being put in place to address them. Experts, however, warn that there is no quick fix to the problem.

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While the doctors giving up on child healthcare is a massive problem on its own, the elephant in the room is the dwindling birth rate. According to reports, S Korea needs a fertility rate of 2.1 to maintain a stable population.

Seoul's population reportedly shrank for the first time in 2021. Thedecline could have direct repercussions on its economy which is one of the biggest in the world.

(With inputs from agencies)

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