[News Today] TRAUMA TRAINING CENTER IN CRISIS

[LEAD]
South Korea's only specialist trauma surgeon training center has narrowly avoided closure due to a budget shortfall. The need for continued support and interest in treating serious injuries remains urgent.

[REPORT]
Renowned trauma surgeon Lee Guk-jong, who saved the life of wounded freighter captain Seok Hae-kyun...

Images of the exhausted surgeon boarding a medical helicopter to rescue critically injured patients drew the national spotlight at one point.

The only center in Korea that trains trauma surgeons had received 900 million won, or around 600,000 dollars, from the government annually since 2014, training more than 20 traumatologists.

But this year funding was scrapped altogether and the center was set to close later this month.

The center managed to avert the crisis after the Seoul metropolitan government had vowed to inject 500 million won, or some 340,000 dollars, in disaster management funds.

Oh Jong-keon / Head, Korea Univ. Guro Hospital Training Center
Our training center relied on budget funding and could be shut down anytime without allocated funds.

Doctors tend to shun treating serious injuries because this field requires intensive emergency surgeries.

This year, only 20% of traumatologists renewed their licenses, with 46 out of 58 giving up on renewing theirs.

Oh Jong-keon / Head, Korea Univ. Guro Hospital Training Center
The work is exhausting both physically and mentally, yet society values it poorly, especially in terms of financial compensation.

Traumatology lacks funding and human resources compared to its role in saving lives, prompting calls for continuous support for trauma doctors.