[2022 National Audit] 'Chronic Staff Shortage' at National University Hospitals, Over Half of Doctors and Nurses Resign Within 2 Years

National University Hospital Doctors' Resignation Rate 34.9% Within 1 Year, 61.6% Within 2 Years
Nurses Also Have 39.7% Resignation Rate Within 1 Year, 58.7% Within 2 Years
Assemblyman Seo Dong-yong: "To Resolve Chronic Staff Shortages at National University Hospitals, Increase Staffing and Improve Treatment Are Necessary"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] It has been found that more than half of the doctors and nurses at national university hospitals, which are already experiencing a manpower shortage, leave their jobs within two years.

On the 5th, Seo Dong-yong, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, analyzed data received from national university hospitals and found that over the past three years, more than 30% of doctors and nurses resigned within one year, and over 50% resigned within two years.

According to the data on doctor resignations, the percentage of doctors leaving national university hospitals within one year was 36.8% in 2020, 35.3% in 2021, and 32.6% up to September 2022. In the case of Jeonnam National University Hospital, the percentage of doctors who resigned within one year over three years exceeded 50%. Specifically, 57.1% in 2020, 54.8% in 2021, and 63.6% up to September 2022 left within one year.

The resignation rates for nurses are similar. Among nurses at national university hospitals, the percentage who resigned within one year was 39% in 2020, 39.1% in 2021, and 41.1% up to September 2022. At Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital, the percentage of nurses who resigned within one year was 67.2% in 2020, 69.7% in 2021, and 65.5% as of September 2022.

The situation becomes even more serious when expanded to resignations within two years. For doctors, the rates were 64.4% in 2020, 62.6% in 2021, and 58.0% as of September 2022. In particular, Gangwon National University Hospital and Jeonnam National University Hospital had an average of over 80% of doctors resigning within two years over the past three years. For nurses at national university hospitals, the percentage who resigned within two years was 58.8% in 2020, 57.2% in 2021, and 60% as of September 2022.

Assemblyman Seo Dong-yong said, "I am worried about the serious public healthcare gap. The high resignation rate among medical personnel increases the workload on the remaining doctors and nurses, leading to a vicious cycle where even existing medical staff resign. It is now time to break this vicious cycle."

He added, "The government needs to increase manpower and improve working conditions so that national university hospitals can fulfill their roles as public hospitals. The management system for public health care should be reorganized through the transfer of national university hospitals to the Ministry of Health and Welfare."