The number of medical facilities capable of handling births in South Korea has plummeted by over 30% in the past decade. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jun. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – The number of medical facilities capable of handling births in South Korea has plummeted by over 30% in the past decade, according to recent government data, raising concerns over access to maternal care across the nation.
More than 70 regions either lack obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) clinics entirely or have facilities unable to accommodate deliveries.
As of the end of 2023, there were 463 hospitals and clinics offering delivery services in South Korea, a significant 34.4% decrease from 706 in 2013, according to an analysis by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service examining inpatient records claiming maternity-related fees.
The decline was particularly pronounced among smaller clinics, with the number of OB-GYN clinics able to handle deliveries effectively halved from 409 in 2013 to 195 by the end of last year.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare attributes this reduction to rising operational costs and deteriorating working conditions, including the risk of medical malpractice lawsuits, amid declining birth rates that have made running such clinics less viable.
Among the country’s 250 cities and counties, 72 regions either lacked OB-GYN clinics entirely or had facilities without delivery rooms, rendering them effectively incapable of accommodating births as of the end of 2023.
Twenty-two areas had no OB-GYN clinics at all, while 50 had clinics without delivery rooms.
Since 2011, the government has been implementing a program to improve and maintain maternity care infrastructure by providing financial support for the establishment and operation of OB-GYN clinics in underserved areas.
Beginning this year, the support for facilities and equipment at clinics in these areas has been increased. Facility and equipment funding has been raised from 1 billion won in 2023 to 1.2 billion won this year, in addition to 500 million won in operational funding.
The government has also decided to allocate 260 billion won to improve maternity care fees, including the introduction of a new “high-risk maternity integrated care fee” policy.
As of June 1, this policy provides a maximum of 200,000 won per day for up to seven days for intensive care unit patients.
To address the issue, the government has outlined measures to enhance compensation for high-risk pregnancies and encourage the opening and continued operation of maternity wards, aiming to ensure safe and accessible delivery options across the country.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
