[2026 Parliamentary Audit] Regional National University Hospitals Face Staffing and Financial Woes, Raising Fears of a 'Clinical Training Crisis'

Medical school enrollment expands, but clinical training space is severely lacking
Only 45% of essential-care staff have returned amid specialist shortages
Health Ministry: "Will pursue removing national university hospitals from the 'other public institutions' category by the first half of next year"

Structural problems facing regional national university hospitals were highlighted as all nine regional hospitals appeared before the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee for a parliamentary audit for the first time. These included a shortage of space for clinical training as medical school enrollment expands, staffing shortages in essential medical care, and chronic deficits.

Regional hospital directors attend a parliamentary audit of national university hospitals and other institutions held by the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee on the 8th, answering questions from lawmakers. Yonhap News Agency

On the 8th, the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee held a parliamentary audit in Yeouido, Seoul, of nine national university hospitals across the country, excluding Seoul National University Hospital. Starting this year, responsibility for regional national university hospitals was transferred from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, making them audit targets of the committee for the first time.

The audit revealed that the number of students expected to take part in clinical training will surge as medical school enrollment expands, but hospitals' educational facilities are not keeping pace.

Assemblywoman Baek Seonhee of the Rebuilding Korea Party said, "The number of students admitted to national university medical schools, excluding Seoul National University, has increased from 826 to 1,156. Students will finish their premedical studies and begin clinical training in just three years, but classrooms and training rooms are in short supply, leaving us with a ticking time bomb: a 'clinical training crisis.'"

At Chungbuk National University Hospital, the number of students in clinical training is expected to rise from 103 this year to 175 in 2029 and 203 in 2030. However, the main building's lecture halls can accommodate only 85 people, while the government subsidy rate for facilities related to medical treatment is just 25%, leaving the hospital to cover the remaining 75%. Kim Wonseop, president of Chungbuk National University Hospital, said, "The hospital is carrying about KRW 240 billion in debt. Covering 75% of the costs ourselves is difficult."

The situation was similar at Kangwon National University Hospital. The number of students in clinical training is projected to increase from 79 this year to 171 in 2029 and 195 in 2032. But due to a lack of space, administrative areas inside the hospital are being converted into student-only facilities and lounges. Nam Woodong, president of Kangwon National University Hospital, said, "We are reaching our spatial limits in accommodating the projects the government requires."

Son Youngrae, director of regional, essential and public healthcare at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "A somewhat low government subsidy rate of 25% applies to facilities related to medical treatment." He added, "Our goal is to raise the government subsidy rate for medical facilities in provincial areas to a level similar to that of the ministry's regular projects."

The excessive working hours of medical staff treating high-risk pregnant women and newborns also came under scrutiny. Assemblyman Kim Yun of the Democratic Party of Korea said, "We confirmed cases of medical staff providing neonatal intensive care at Gyeongsang National University Hospital working an average of 55 hours a week, with one case reaching as many as 150 hours a week. They were on call an average of 16.8 times a month, and the longest continuous stretch of work lasted six days."

Although resident doctors are returning after the conflict between the government and the medical community, the return of staff in essential medical fields remains slow. Kim Wonseop, president of Chungbuk National University Hospital, said, "Resident doctors have returned, but the return rate among essential medical staff is low, at around 45%. Since the pay gap with primary and secondary hospitals is more than threefold, national university hospitals cannot retain them under their current conditions."

Financial difficulties are also hampering national university hospitals. Assemblyman Kim Kiwoong of the People Power Party said, "National university hospitals continue to post deficits of tens of billions of won, while some private university hospitals in the same regions are profitable. This appears to be a structural and institutional problem, rather than a temporary issue or one caused by regional characteristics."

In response, the presidents of the national university hospitals called on the government to cover the deficits incurred as they provide regional, essential and public healthcare. Hwa Jeongseok, president of Gyeongsang National University Hospital, cited the public children's rehabilitation hospital as an example and said, "The annual deficit at public children's rehabilitation hospitals already in operation is understood to amount to tens of billions of won. Please find a way for the government to cover the deficits incurred in providing regional, essential and public healthcare."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it would pursue institutional reforms and financial support to secure staff. Son said, "The fact that national university hospitals are classified as 'other public institutions' is an obstacle to recruiting staff. We will pursue a plan to remove them from that category by around the first half of next year." He added, "We are developing a new program to provide temporary support for about two years, including subsidies for the salaries of newly recruited specialists and existing professors."

The ministry also said it would prevent regional national university hospitals from facing financial disadvantages as a result of the transfer of responsibility from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Son said, "We will discuss the matter thoroughly with the budget authorities to ensure that the hospitals do not lose out on already allocated government subsidies simply because their responsible ministry has changed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.