In a bid to address the looming crisis facing Korea's stroke treatment system, Korean Stroke Society (KSS) held a press conference at the Westin Josun Seoul aimed to dissect the current state of stroke care in the country and propose strategies to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure, especially given the nation's rapidly aging population.

During the conference, Bae Hee-joon, a neurology professor at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) and KSS President, noted the government's plan to expand medical school admissions by 2,000 students.

He emphasized the need to ensure that these additional physicians are incentivized to pursue essential medical specialties, such as stroke care, which is currently grappling with a severe shortage of specialized practitioners.

The gravity of the situation became palpable as experts highlighted the acute shortage of stroke specialists across Korea's medical landscape.

Professor Kim Tae-jung, a fellow neurologist at SNUH, echoed these sentiments, expressing skepticism about whether simply increasing medical school admissions would sufficiently address the workforce deficit.

"It is projected that by 2050, the elderly population aged 65 and older will reach approximately 20 million, comprising 50 percent of the total population," Kim said. "It is estimated that 350,000 new stroke patients will be diagnosed annually, and the annual medical expenses for stroke are projected to increase significantly; the foundation of the stroke treatment system is currently unstable due to the severe shortage of stroke specialists."

Kim stressed that despite such alarming numbers, vulnerable areas for stroke treatment still exist in Korea, with 50 percent of all stroke patients unable to undergo final treatments such as intravenous thrombolysis or arterial thrombectomy within the appropriate treatment window.

"The number of stroke experts in Korea is also a source of concern," Kim said. "With just 86 stroke specialists spread across 74 training hospitals, the system is stretched beyond its limits, unable to meet the burgeoning demand for timely stroke interventions."

Only one out of the 14 designated regional centers has a dedicated stroke specialist, and in some regional cerebrovascular disease centers, one specialist treats 400 to 500 stroke patients, Kim added.

KSS's discussions delved deeper into the systemic challenges plaguing stroke care in Korea. Professor Cha Jae-kwan at Dong-A University Hospital emphasized the critical importance of revising disease classification systems to optimize resource allocation and streamline stroke care delivery.

While government initiatives aimed at fostering collaboration among medical institutions and enhancing healthcare networks are commendable, the KSS stressed that success hinges on addressing foundational issues such as workforce shortages and compensation differentials.

"Without robust interventions, the stroke treatment system faces the looming specter of collapse, imperiling the health and well-being of stroke patients nationwide," Cha said. "The need for policy additions to guarantee new fees for stroke patient treatment and duty, expansion of regional centers, and establishment of new local hospitals to handle stroke cases."

Cha stressed that stroke tops the list of emergency medical conditions per neurology specialists, and the burden of treating severe patients in the neurology department's emergency room is high.

"However, despite the high workload, neurologists receive no consultation fees when treating suspected stroke patients, and the work allowance for a dedicated stroke unit physician working 24 hours is only 27,730 won ($20.77)," he said.

Additionally, Lee Kyung-bok, KSS' policy director, pointed out the current classification of stroke as a general treatment category and stressed the need for reclassification as a specialized treatment category.

"It is common knowledge that stroke is an essential emergency condition," he said. "Particularly, stroke is a severe disease, with 80 percent of affected patients experiencing disabilities severe enough to require care."

Timely treatment is crucial, yet currently, only a few patients undergoing surgery or procedures are classified under the specialized treatment category, he added.

Lee stressed that comprehensive hospitals must treat over 30 percent of designated specialized treatment patients.

"Therefore, they cannot accommodate all general treatment patients," he said. "If this continues, there are concerns that attention and treatment volume for stroke patients at comprehensive hospitals may decrease."

To prevent this, stroke should be classified as a specialized treatment category so that treatment for acute stroke patients can be primarily conducted at comprehensive hospitals, he added.

Lastly, Bae emphasized, "In an ultra-aged society, one out of four people will experience a stroke before they die and stroke is no longer a distant or someone else's problem but an issue we will all eventually face."

To prevent the collapse of the stroke treatment system in an ultra-aged society, fundamental issues such as securing human resources, establishing a compensation system, and revising the disease classification system must be addressed, he added.

Bae stressed that KSS will strive to establish a stroke treatment system and promote healthy aging for Koreans, from stroke prevention to acute treatment and long-term management.