As a majority of residents left training hospitals due to conflicts in the legislature, the gap in work distribution by region has widened. 66% of residents still undergoing training are concentrated in hospitals in the metropolitan area, severely impacting regional healthcare.
According to 자료 received from the Ministry of Health and Welfare by Kim Seon-min, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, of the total 1,672 residents currently in training nationwide, 1,097 work in metropolitan area hospitals. This number is nearly double that of the 575 residents working in non-metropolitan hospitals.
The ministry allocated the ratio of residents in the metropolitan area and non-metropolitan area at 5.5 to 4.5 last year. The intention is to increase the allocation for non-metropolitan areas from 60% to 40% in 2023, thereby strengthening essential regional healthcare. This year, to encourage the return of residents, the metropolitan quota is maintained while increasing the non-metropolitan quota to 5.5 to 5.
However, as the return of residents has stalled, the issue of filling quotas in metropolitan training hospitals has become even more severe. The government proposed exceptions for training and military enlistment, but the number of residents who began training in the first half of this year remains at 12.4% compared to 13,531 candidates for appointment last March. The return is focused on filling vacancies primarily in metropolitan areas, which has widened the gap between regions.
The lawmaker noted that 'reckless expansion of medical school enrollment has led to numerous residents resigning, resulting in a shortage of residents not only in the metropolitan area but also in rural areas' and pointed out that 'the nearly double distribution of residents in the current allocation risks accelerating the gaps in regional healthcare.'