10 percent of patients wait average of 17.5 days to be hospitalized: Survey

A pediatric hospital in Seongbuk District Seoul is crowded with patients and guardians waiting for treatment on the afternoon of Mar 6 YONHAP — A pediatric hospital in Seongbuk District, Seoul, is crowded with patients and guardians waiting for treatment on the afternoon of Mar. 6 YONHAP.

SEOUL, April 02 (AJP) - A government survey showed Monday that one in ten patients in South Korea waited an average of 17.5 days to be admitted to a hospital last year, marking a nearly four-day increase compared to the year before.

The spike in wait times comes amid a shortage of doctors at major university hospitals, where medical residents and interns have collectively resigned in protest of the government’s plan to increase the medical school admission quota significantly.

The reform, aimed at addressing the country’s long-term physician shortage, has triggered strong resistance from the medical community, leading to service disruptions and delays in patient admissions.

In a survey conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs at the request of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, found that prolonged wait times for hospitalization reached their highest level since the survey began in 2017.

The survey was based on face-to-face interviews with 14,681 people carried out between July 22 and September 27, 2024.

According to the results, 90.2 percent of patients were admitted either on the same day or on their preferred date -- up slightly from 89.4 percent in 2023. However, the remaining 9.8 percent who were unable to be admitted as scheduled waited an average of 17.5 days, compared to 13.6 days the previous year. Among them, 69.2 percent waited more than 10 days.

Outpatient care was more accessible. A total of 99.6 percent of patients were able to receive outpatient services on the same day or on a date of their choosing. Only 0.4 percent had to wait, with an average delay of 11.4 days. Of those, nearly 20 percent waited over 30 days—mostly for appointments at major tertiary hospitals.

For outpatient visits, the average waiting time after registration was 16.7 minutes, and the average consultation time was 7 minutes. A majority of respondents, 61.1 percent, said their consultation lasted between 1 and 5 minutes.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com

10 percent of patients wait average of 17.5 days to be hospitalized: Survey

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