South Korean doctors flee paediatrics as low birth rate bites

Doctors say the low-fee problem is particular to paediatrics as the insurance system has not been revised to reflect fewer child patients. - Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters): South Korea is suffering from a shortage of paediatricians, partly a result of the world's lowest birth rate and increasingly a factor behind it, leaving hospitals unable to fill posts and raising risks for children's health, doctors say.

The number of paediatric clinics and hospitals in the capital has fallen by 12.5% over the five years to 2022, to just 456. Over the same period, the number of psychiatry clinics increased by 76.8%, while anaesthesiology centres saw a 41.2% rise, according to the Seoul Institute, a public administration think tank.