On February 20th, resident doctors began walking out in response to the government’s push to increase the student quota in medical schools from 3058 students to 5058. According to the government, this change is meant to address the shortage of doctors in a rapidly aging society and the uneven distribution of the workforce in fields and regions alike.
However, this announcement faced strong objections from resident doctors and medical students alike. With such a drastic increase in student numbers, they raised concerns about possible oversaturation and overcompetition in the market. They contended that the quota increase fails to substantially address the downfalls of the healthcare system in the status quo.
So what problems are present?
First, the number of doctors in South Korea is 2.6 per 1000 people, the second lowest amongst OECD nations. The primary incentives for the quota increase were the statistics and the fact that an estimated 20.8% of the population will be people 65 or older (as of 2026). However, this is not necessarily an alarming phenomenon. Other indicators show South Korea has 79.21 hospitals per million, more than double the average. The treatable mortality rate is 43 per million, the second lowest after Switzerland. This indicates that although the number of doctors is few, no significant problems arise as a result.
Regarding population aging, it is true that an older population entails more health risks, and the healthcare system should reflect that. However, the growing trend in healthcare is efficiency and accessibility, which cannot be accomplished by quota increase alone. The government should opt for the development of telehealth and necessary technology to decrease the time and resources whilst increasing the effectiveness of treatment.
Lastly, the number of residents in essential healthcare fields such as pediatrics and orthopedics has decreased. Most prefer fields with fewer repercussions and more compensation, such as dermatology and plastic surgery. If the student quota increases, this phenomenon will only continue, and essential healthcare will be left even more vulnerable. Instead, the essential healthcare system will slowly but surely recover by lowering the burden of potential malpractice litigation and providing sufficient compensation and services.
The conflict between the government and the striking doctors persists, with the government threatening to revoke the licenses of the doctors not returning to hospitals. While it is true that both sides have compelling arguments, the rights and well-being of the patients should be prioritized and reflected above all else in both the present and future healthcare steps.
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