During the medical crisis, it has been revealed that national university hospitals are struggling with financial difficulties as their medical revenues have sharply declined.
According to data submitted by the National University Hospital Association to Han Ji-a, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the People Power Party, on the 5th, the medical revenues of 10 national university hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital, decreased by 1.26 trillion KRW from February to May. It was explained that the cash held by these hospitals as of the end of May was only 142.07 billion KRW, which is just 35.5% of the appropriate reserve amount of 399.9 billion KRW.
These hospitals have already used more than half of the 761.5 billion KRW borrowed operating funds, spending 382.45 billion KRW by May. Representative Han predicted that these funds will mostly be exhausted as early as this month or by November at the latest. In particular, although the government is providing support through methods such as advance payments of health insurance to alleviate financial difficulties, Representative Han pointed out that this support is only about 30% of the sales revenue from the same period last year.
Representative Han Ji-a said, "Although self-help measures such as unpaid leave, budget cuts, reducing hospital beds, and borrowing operating funds are being implemented, it may soon become difficult to even pay personnel expenses," and added, "Various financial support measures, including increasing the proportion of advance health insurance payments, must be promptly prepared."
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