Article First Publication Challenge
Korean Hospital
Let's have some dry goods
South Korea's high-paid doctors in Kochi, South Korea is in the absolute elite group, why are they on strike?
South Korea's doctors' strike has been going on for three days, plunging the country's healthcare system into crisis.
The reason for the strike is South Korea's plan to expand the enrollment of 2,000 new medical students a year from 2025 in response to an aging population and a shortage of doctors.
The physician community opposes the plan, arguing that it will reduce the quality of medical education, exacerbate the imbalance in medical resources, and harm the interests of doctors. South Korea** insists that this is a necessary reform, and has taken tough measures against striking doctors, including revocation of licenses, repatriation orders, and even criminal proceedings. The contradictions between the two sides have intensified, and the health of the people has been threatened.
Why are South Korean doctors so vehemently resisting the expansion of medical school admissions? Aren't they an elite group of high-paid Kochi? Aren't they supposed to contribute to the country's medical cause? Shouldn't they put the lives and health of their citizens first? In order to answer these questions, we need to analyze the situation of Korean doctors, the current situation of Korean medical care, and the characteristics of Korean society from multiple perspectives.
First of all, we need to understand the situation of Korean doctors.
Korean doctors earn one of the highest salaries in the world, but their work is also very stressful. According to 2020 statistics, South Korea has 2. per 1,000 people2 doctors, well below the average of OECD member countries (3.).7). This means that Korean doctors have a much more workload than doctors in other countries. In fact, the average number of outpatient visits per capita in South Korea is 147 times, which is higher than the average for OECD countries (5.).9 times). This reflects the high demand and high dependence of Koreans on medical care. Korean doctors not only have to face heavy workloads, but also endure patient grievances and complaints, and sometimes even violence and slander. The social status of Korean doctors is also not as high as it seems, they are often seen as businessmen rather than professionals, and their professional judgment and ethical standards are often questioned and challenged.
Second, we need to understand the current state of medical care in Korea.
The main problem with healthcare in South Korea is the imbalance of resources. South Korea's medical resources are mainly concentrated in the metropolitan area, while other regions are relatively scarce. According to 2020 data, the city of Seoul has 3. per 1,000 people8 doctors, while Jeollanam-do has only 13 people. This has led to disparities in medical care between regions, as well as a surplus of medical care in the Tokyo metropolitan area and under-medical care in other regions. The imbalance in medical resources in South Korea is also reflected in the fact that there are different departments. The distribution of doctors in South Korea presents a "pyramid" structure, that is, high-income departments such as plastic surgery, ophthalmology, and ** departments have the largest number of people, while low-income departments such as pediatrics, obstetrics, internal medicine, thoracic surgery, etc. have the lowest number of people.
This has led to a surplus of doctors in some departments and a shortage of doctors in others. The imbalance in healthcare resources in South Korea is also reflected in the gap between the public and private sectors. More than 95% of Korean medical institutions are private, while less than 5% are public. This means that the Korean healthcare market is highly competitive and highly commercialized. In pursuit of profits, private hospitals often provide excessive medical services, resulting in medical costs and a decline in the quality of medical care. Public hospitals, on the other hand, often find it difficult to provide high-quality medical services due to lack of funds and talents, resulting in low medical efficiency and risks to medical safety.
Finally, we need to understand the characteristics of Korean society.
Korean society is a highly competitive society and a highly unequal society. Koreans have to receive a rigorous education from an early age, and in order to get into a good university, they have to pay a huge amount of effort and cost. Korean doctors are no exception, and they go through 6 years of medical school, plus 4 years of residency training, to become qualified doctors. The competition for Korean doctors exists not only at the stage of enrollment and employment, but also at the stage of career development. Promotions and earnings for doctors in South Korea are often based on their performance, not on their years of service or contributions.
This has led to fierce competition among Korean doctors, as well as dissatisfaction and uneasiness among Korean doctors over their work. Korean society is a highly unequal society, which is reflected in the distribution of income, the distribution of power, and the distribution of opportunities. The gap between the rich and the poor in South Korean society is one of the largest in the world, and the standard of living and quality of life between the rich and the poor are vastly different. The distribution of power in South Korean society is also uneven, with political and economic power often in the hands of a few, while the majority is marginalized and ignored. The distribution of opportunities in Korean society is also unfair, social mobility is low, and people's origins and backgrounds often determine their fate and future. Korean doctors are also affected by these inequalities, and although they are the elite of society, they also face instability in income, lack of power, and unfair opportunities.
The strike of Korean doctors is actually a mirror of Korean society, reflecting some deep-seated problems and contradictions in Korean society. The strike of Korean doctors is not only a call to **, but also to society. The strike of Korean doctors is not only to protect their own interests, but also to improve the medical environment, improve the quality of medical care, and protect the health of the people. The strike of Korean doctors is not only a dispute between medical and political affairs, but also a social change.
So, how should the strike of South Korean doctors be resolved? I believe that the key to solving this problem is to establish a fair, reasonable and effective medical system, so that doctors and patients can be respected, satisfied, and protected. To this end, I would like to make the following recommendations:
The first is to adjust the admissions policy of medical schools to make them more scientific, reasonable, and transparent. The expansion of medical schools should be based on the country's medical needs, the supply and demand of medical talents, the quality of medical education, and the allocation of medical resources. Medical school admissions should take into account the needs of different regions, different departments, and different types of medical talent, rather than increasing the number of places across the board. Admissions to medical schools should be open, fair, and impartial, so that all aspiring medical careers have the opportunity to receive medical education, rather than making medical education a privilege for the few.
The second is to reform the operation model of medical institutions to make them more humane, standardized, and sustainable. Medical institutions should be guided by the needs of patients, with medical quality as the core, and medical efficiency as the goal, rather than profit-driven, measured by medical quantity, and measured by medical competition. Medical institutions should abide by medical laws, medical standards, medical ethics, and medical safety requirements, rather than violating medical principles, medical standards, medical ethics, and the bottom line of medical responsibility. Medical institutions should establish a reasonable fee system, a reasonable distribution system, a reasonable incentive system, and a reasonable supervision system, instead of letting medical expenses get out of control, medical resources are wasted, medical talent drain, and medical risks increase.
The third is to improve the social status of doctors, so that they are more respectful, satisfied, and protected. Doctors should be seen as contributors to society, not parasites of society. Doctors should be seen as professionals, not as business people. Doctors should be seen as dignified people, not things of value. Doctors should enjoy a reasonable income, reasonable working hours, a reasonable working environment, reasonable job security, and reasonable work rights, rather than being deprived of basic life, basic rest, basic health, basic safety, and basic freedom.
In conclusion, the strike of Korean doctors is a complex social issue, which requires understanding, communication, consultation, and cooperation among doctors, patients, and all parties in society to find a solution that can not only meet medical needs, but also protect medical interests and promote medical development. I hope that the strike of Korean doctors will end as soon as possible, that Korean medical care will resume as soon as possible, and that Korean society will make progress as soon as possible. Thank you for reading.