S.Korea To Invest 3.3 Trillion Won Annually To Reform Tertiary Care Hospitals 

SEOUL, Sept 27 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- The South Korean government plans to invest 3.3 trillion won (US$2.5 billion) annually from its health insurance funds over the next five years to reform tertiary care hospitals to better prioritise the treatment of critically ill patients, the interior minister said on Friday, reported Yonhap news agency.

Minister Lee Sang-min made the remarks during a government meeting in response to ongoing walkouts by medical doctors protesting the government's medical reform, which includes a significant increase in the nationwide medical school admissions quota, starting in 2025.

As part of the reform, the government plans to invest 3.3 trillion won annually over the next five years in a restructuring project for tertiary care general hospitals, which begins next month, Lee noted.

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"The workforce structure at top-tier general hospitals will be reorganised around medical specialists and physician assistant nurses," the minister said.

According to Lee, through the restructuring, tertiary care hospitals will focus on high-level treatments for critically ill patients and rare diseases, while the number of hospital beds for patients with mild conditions will be reduced by 5 to 15 per cent.

Including the investment for this project, a total of 20 trillion won will be spent over the next five years on the government's medical reform, he added.

"Without increasing the number of medical doctors, which are in short supply, it will be difficult to secure the medical workforce needed to normalise essential and regional medical services," Lee stated.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP