The inconvenience caused by the shortage of pediatrics is becoming increasingly serious.
Many parents are lining up in front of the pediatric entrance from dawn or registering through a paid app.
News1 reported on the 19th after covering the phenomenon of patient congestion at children’s hospitals and pediatrics in Busan.
Mr. Kim (38), who visited a children’s hospital in Busan on the 18th, said, “The first open run I’ve ever done is to register at a children’s hospital,” revealing a bitter reality that is not laughable.
He was up all night worrying about his 5-year-old child, who suddenly developed a fever over the weekend and got up at 6 AM to line up for the pediatric opening.
Mr. Kim explained, “There are three stages to go through before the child enters the examination room: drawing a number, registering, and waiting on-site. Numbers are distributed from 6:30 AM, and registration starts from 8:40 AM”.
He added, “If you’re not on-site when it’s time to register, your turn just passes. It’s common to see dads drawing numbers before going to work and moms waking up the kids to come to the hospital”.
It has been found that every morning, a line of 10 to 20 patients forms at Pediatric Clinic A in Haeundae District.
Pediatric Clinic B in Dongnae District only accepts medical appointments through the ‘Ddocdoc’ app without on-site registration.
Mr. An, who lives in Dongnae District, said, “Even though it’s a paid app that charges a monthly fee, I have no choice but to use it when my child is sick. It’s like paying a separate registration fee, not a medical fee. Honestly, it feels harsh, but considering the staff needed to guide those who wait from 1-2 hours before opening every day, I can understand”.
Between 2017 and August of last year, 662 pediatric clinics nationwide were found to have closed. This equates to about 130 clinics closing every year.
The main reasons include decreased patients, increased labor and rental costs, and stagnant medical fees.
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