{"id":2201880,"date":"2023-08-03T17:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-08-03T08:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201880"},"modified":"2023-08-04T17:24:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T08:24:00","slug":"why-pediatric-care-in-south-korea-faces-a-precipitous-decline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/why-pediatric-care-in-south-korea-faces-a-precipitous-decline\/","title":{"rendered":"Why pediatric care in South Korea faces a precipitous decline"},"content":{"rendered":"
A dire pediatric health crisis is unfolding in South Korea, and families like Kim Kyu-jong\u2019s are feeling the brunt of it. When Kim\u2019s toddler developed a fever, the lack of available emergency rooms forced him to take a taxi to a pediatric emergency room. His child was admitted for outpatient care only.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI felt resentful and helpless when sent back home with a still-suffering kid,\u201d Kim told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>. \u201cLuckily, she improved the next day, but I keep wondering \u2014 what if it happens again?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n This harrowing experience is not isolated. Across South Korea, a growing number of incidents reflect a <\/span>critical shortage of pediatricians<\/span><\/a>, leading to dangerous delays in care and limited access to emergency services. The issue is stoking public concern and calls for immediate action.<\/span><\/p>\n In a case that sent shockwaves through the nation, a five-year-old boy tragically <\/span>died<\/span><\/a> in May from acute respiratory symptoms after being turned away by multiple hospitals. The lack of available beds, rooms and staff to accommodate him became a flashpoint in a crisis that seems to be worsening.<\/span><\/p>\n This alarming shortage of pediatric healthcare providers is multifaceted. Medical trainees and incumbent pediatricians are increasingly shying away from the field, daunted by persistently low incomes, difficult interactions with parents and a shrinking pediatric patient base owing to the country\u2019s <\/span>falling birth rate<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n PARENTAL ATTITUDES<\/b><\/p>\n \u200b\u200bOver the past half-decade, South Korea\u2019s pediatric medical landscape has faced a worrisome contraction. The number of resident doctors specializing in pediatrics at training hospitals has <\/span>plummeted by 64%<\/span><\/a>. This year alone, an alarming four out of five university hospitals received <\/span>no applications<\/span><\/a> for pediatric training programs.<\/span><\/p>\n The reluctance of aspiring medical students to enter this field has roots in a <\/span>2017 incident<\/span><\/a> at Ewha Women\u2019s University Hospital. Four infant deaths led to a lengthy court case, resulting in a five-year legal battle for the medical staff of the hospital\u2019s intensive care unit. They were ultimately <\/span>acquitted<\/span><\/a> of involuntary manslaughter charges related to the bacterial infections that caused the deaths.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was in school, a few students still applied for the pediatric department. But now I hear there are no applicants, and even those considering it are often dissuaded by those around them,\u201d Lee Soo-jeong, a plastic surgeon and former trainee at Yonsei University Hospital, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n Lee\u2019s comments illuminate a broader concern. Medical students are fully aware of the challenging working conditions pediatricians face. These include managing upset or angry parents and, in unfortunate circumstances, the potential for legal action, even when the practitioners believe they have performed their duties as expected.<\/span><\/p>\n Park Yang-dong, chairman of the Korea Children\u2019s Hospital Association (KCHA), highlighted additional challenges. He emphasizes the issue of young parents becoming verbally aggressive out of frustration with long waits and anxiety. This mistreatment of medical caregivers has prompted an exodus of existing staff.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey are often verbally aggressive and take out their frustration on the medical staff, turning them into <\/span>emotional laborers<\/span><\/a>,\u201d Park told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n Earlier this year, Park transitioned his practice from a pediatric to a family care model, rebranding CNA Seoul Children\u2019s Hospital as Seoul Family Hospital. In anticipation of the continuing shortage of pediatricians, he revealed that 70% of children\u2019s hospitals plan to reduce operational hours during nights and holidays in the next five months.<\/span><\/p>\n Compounding the issue, hospital-based pediatricians are currently working an average of 78 hours a week to meet demand, according to Park.<\/span><\/p>\n