About 7 of every 10 children's hospitals in South Korea are reporting a shortage of medical specialists.

This is largely driven by medical residents avoiding the department of pediatrics. Industry insiders warn that this avoidance trend could be further exacerbated by the police raid on a pediatric emergency room late last month.

According to a survey conducted by the Korean Children's Hospital Association on 71 member hospitals nationwide from September 29 to October 4, 53 hospitals—accounting for 74.6%—responded that they lacked the specialists required to maintain regular medical care.

Only 18 hospitals, or 25.4%, reported having a sufficient number of specialists.

When asked why they were unable to fill open positions, the 53 hospitals that reported shortages overwhelmingly cited a "lack of applicants" at 86.8% (multiple responses allowed).

This was followed by applicants being "reluctant to work night shifts, weekends, and inpatient care duties" at 71.7%, and "difficulty affording the salaries demanded by applicants" at 58.5%.

Excluding three, all other responding hospitals attempted to recruit pediatric specialists over the past three years.

However, only 19 of these hospitals (27.9%) successfully hired within six months.

For the rest, the recruitment process took between six months and less than one year for 27.9%, and one year or longer for 11.8%.

Furthermore, 32.4% of the hospitals had still failed to make any hires.

This means that roughly 7 in 10 hospitals attempting recruitment either took more than six months to hire a specialist or failed to hire one at all.

Among the 313 full-time specialists at these hospitals, those in their 40s accounted for the largest share at 34.5%, followed by those in their 50s (31.6%), 60s (16.6%), 30s (16.0%), and those aged 70 or older (1.3%).

The association analyzed that generational transition is becoming difficult, as specialists in their 30s—the youngest cohort—are fewer in number than those in their 60s.

Among the hospitals that participated in the survey, 43.7% of the chief directors reported working more than 52 hours per week.

As for the reason, an overwhelming 96.8% cited the need "to maintain night shift, weekend, and inpatient care services."

When asked if they had ever reduced or suspended medical services due to specialist shortages over the past three years (multiple responses allowed), 60.6% of the hospitals answered yes.

Among them, the reduction or suspension of night care services was the most common at 33.8%.

When asked how long they could sustain current medical services (including night, weekend, and inpatient care) under present staffing levels and hiring conditions, 52.1%—more than half—responded "less than four years."

Among 49 open-ended suggestions (multiple responses) regarding what they hope the government and association will do to secure medical personnel, improvements to medical fees (National Health Insurance reimbursement rates) were requested the most at 35 responses.

Other requests included "financial support for labor costs and securing personnel" (8 responses), "expanding the production of residents and specialists" (7 responses), and "protecting medical staff and establishing legal safety devices" (5 responses).

Choi Yong-jae, president of the association, stated, "We believe that the detention and subsequent acquittal of medical staff over the neonatal death case at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital led to residents avoiding the pediatrics department, which has resulted in this specialist recruitment crisis." He added, "We are concerned that last month's raid on the pediatric emergency center will accelerate this trend."

He further noted, "Children's hospitals are barely holding on," adding that "if the government further delays establishing institutional safety nets and support measures, local pediatric essential care will soon lose its functionality."

(Photo: Yonhap News)