The government will expand its "Contract-Based Regional Essential Doctor System," introduced to address gaps in essential medical services in regional areas, to 11 cities and provinces nationwide this year.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday, a public recruitment process will be held as early as early next month to select five additional cities and provinces to newly join the contract-based regional essential doctor program. With the expansion budget secured through a supplementary budget, the number of contract-based regional essential doctors will increase by 132 from 136 to 268 within the year. Of the newly added slots, 100 doctors will be assigned to the five new cities and provinces at 20 each, while 32 will be placed at 16 public health medical centers in medically underserved areas.
The Contract-Based Regional Essential Doctor System is designed to encourage specialists in eight fields — internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, neurology, and neurosurgery — to remain and work in regional areas for extended periods by supporting settlement conditions such as allowances and housing. When specialists sign long-term employment contracts with regional medical institutions, the central government provides an additional monthly allowance of 4 million won ($2,900), while local governments support regional settlement costs. The program began as a pilot project in four regions — Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, and Jeju — in July last year, and two additional regions, Chungnam and Gyeongbuk, were added following a public recruitment process in January and February this year.
