The birth rate in Kimchi is at an alarming rate, among the lowest in the world.
This not only affects socio-economic development but also leads to a shortage of a very important profession, that is, an obstetrician and gynecologist.
Talking numbers
One in four hospitals in Korea does not have an obstetrician-gynecologist or a gynecologist. The delivery room is also in a similar state of deprivation. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, this clearly reflects the country’s record low birth rate.
According to data released by Statistics Korea and the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare on October 9, 63 out of 250 cities, counties and districts nationwide lack doctors specializing in obstetrics and gynecology born by the end of 2021.
In June 2011, the corresponding number was 51. Most of the area is in the suburbs, where the population crisis is most acute. The number of hospitals handling births fell from 1,027 in 2007 to just 474 last year.
Obstetricians and gynecologists are increasingly scarce in Korea.
The number of obstetricians and gynecologists working in birthing rooms in South Korea fell by 38.1% from 777 in 2011 to 481 last year. In 2004, there were 1,311 doctors working in the delivery room nationwide.
The data shows that 20 rural areas have no midwives at all, which have populations of only 16,000 to 52,000 and are still shrinking.
According to a 2019 survey by the Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 57% of students majoring in obstetrics and gynecology said they do not plan to pursue this profession once they have a license to practice.
In fact, women in rural areas often have to go to an ambulance for more than 1 hour just to find a doctor to deliver the baby, which can easily lead to danger to the life of the baby and the mother.
Find a way to fix the situation
South Korea is trying to reverse this trend by providing financial support of 1 billion won to open obstetrics and gynecology clinics in patient-free areas, but the subsidy has not yet worked significantly.
” Instead of trying to build more gynecological clinics, the government should think of better ways to support pregnant women, ” said Lee Sang-lim, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Health and Society. For example, there is a program of regular health checks and cooperation with public health centers and local fire departments to build a first aid system for children “.
The average fertility rate for Korean women in 2021 is 0.81 children per person, nearly half the average of other OECD countries of 1.59. This is down from the previous year and breaks the world record for a low birth rate.
This is data released by the Korea Census Bureau in August, with the country facing the prospect of more than halving its population by the end of the 21st century.
South Korea is famous for its world-leading medical coverage, but the country is experiencing a shortage of surgeons, obstetricians and pediatricians as many medical students are now moving into fertility-prone fields benefits and have more jobs such as dermatology, plastic surgery.
According to the Korean Pediatrics Association, only 38.5% of the 96 major hospitals in the country are capable of operating round-the-clock pediatric emergency rooms, while more and more hospitals are closing their pediatric wards or only accepting patients during the day.
” At this rate, we could see the pediatric care system become severely strained within the next two to three years, ” said one medical professor.
The same is true in the obstetrics department. Hospitals are currently only able to fill 60 to 70% of the quota while medical students find the birth rate low and the risk of lawsuits high so they move on to other fields.
The Korean Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is calling on the state to support any compensation for medical accidents not caused by negligence that occurred during childbirth.
Source: Koreajoongang Daily, Chosun News
Source: Vietnam Insider