National hospital unions demand concrete support as oversight shifts to health ministry

Unions representing staff at South Korea's nine national university hospitals are urging the government to provide concrete plans for increased staffing and financial support as the hospitals prepare to transfer from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on August 20.

The National University Hospital Labor Union Joint Struggle Committee argues that the administrative shift alone will not be enough to bolster the hospitals' roles as pillars of regional, essential, and public healthcare. They are demanding that the government's stated development plans be translated into tangible actions through laws, systems, finances, and operational frameworks.

"Simply changing the ministry's signboard will not strengthen regional, essential, and public healthcare," stated Jeong Jae-beom, vice president of the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union. "Specific action plans must be prepared detailing where, how, and for what purpose financial support for the development of national university hospitals will be provided."

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Simply changing the ministry's signboard will not strengthen regional, essential, and public healthcare. Specific action plans must be prepared detailing where, how, and for what purpose financial support for the development of national university hospitals will be provided.

Concerns about staffing shortages and financial difficulties are already acute at regional national hospitals. At Jeonbuk National University Hospital, for example, the recruitment rate for residents in 2023 was only 70%, with critical departments like internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics falling to 62%. This shortage has led to nurses bearing an increased workload and facing higher risks of medical accidents, contributing to a rising number of resignations.

In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has pledged to gradually increase financial support for national university hospitals, designating them as key regional healthcare hubs. The ministry also plans to hire approximately 460 additional full-time faculty members over four years to bolster essential medical services like obstetrics and pediatrics. These measures are part of a broader government initiative announced in June aimed at strengthening regional, essential, and public healthcare through comprehensive support for national university hospitals.

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Last year, the recruitment rate for residents at Jeonbuk National University Hospital was only 70%, and the recruitment rate for residents in the eight essential medical fields, including internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics, was 62%.