The health ministry unveiled Thursday a set of plans to help address a shortage of doctors in rural areas and essential fields, pledging to provide more incentives to doctors in such areas. Under the plans, the government intends to provide scholarships and other subsidies to induce medical students to practice in provincial areas, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The policy will focus on offering "adequate income" along with better housing conditions to have doctors sign a long-term contract at hospitals in provinces, it added. The government also intends to allocate 10 trillion won (US$7.5 billion) by 2028 to enhance compensation for medical services in crucial areas and to attract more doctors to practice in such sectors with higher risks. The essential areas include transplant operations and pediatric surgeries. Additionally, South Korea will institute a "safety net" to limit doctors' criminal liability in cases of malpractice, aiming to allow healthcare professionals to prioritize e mergency treatments while ensuring swift compensation for patients. The plan came amid the legal burdens faced by doctors practicing in vital areas, prompting many to shift their careers to nonessential areas. South Korea, meanwhile, has been making efforts to increase the medical school enrollment quota, with pundits anticipating it could grow by as much as 2,000. The current limit stood at 3,058. The government said the country is expected to fall short of around 15,000 doctors in 2035 and that the envisioned increase will consider this estimate. If decided, it will be the first hike of the medical school enrollment quota in 19 years. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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