SEOUL — Emergency patient transports taking over an hour have risen by 22 percent this year, highlighting growing concerns over a doctor shortage in hospital emergency rooms, according to a recent report by the National Fire Agency.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the report, which was presented to Rep. Chai Hyun-il of the main opposition Democratic Party, revealed that from March to August, there were 13,940 instances of ambulance transports exceeding an hour. This marked a significant increase from the 11,426 cases recorded during the same period last year. The data illustrates a troubling trend in cities like Seoul, where such cases nearly doubled from 636 to 1,166, and Daejeon, where the figures escalated from 164 to 467 this year.

The report suggests that the protracted doctor walkout has compelled patients to endure longer wait times and travel greater distances to access emergency services, as an increasing number of hospitals have turned away emergency cases due to understaffing. The ongoing strike by trainee doctors, which began in February in opposition to the government's decision to increase medical school admissions quotas, has forced major hospitals to reduce their range of services, including surgeries.

Rep. Chai Hyun-il has called on the government to take immediate action to mitigate public anxiety and resolve the disruptions in medical services that have resulted from the staffing crisis.