Figure3. Health Expenditure Over 65
(4) Health Expenditure Over 65
(USD billion)
As the population over 65 is increasing and the interest for health is expanding, the ratio of health expenditure of population over 65 out of total medical expense has been gradually growing. In 2010, the total health expenditure for the elder was accounted at USD 11.9billion which is around 16.6% of total medical expense. This is 11% increase from the previous year.
2.2.1.2
Health Workforce and Medical Institutions Trend
(1) Health Workforce Korea’s health workforce trend indicates that the professional medical experts have been increasing steadily. As of 2010, registered nurses are 270,000, doctors are 100,000, and pharmacists are 61,000. Table 2.Health Workforce Doctor Year
(Unit: Person) Dentist
Oriental Doctor
Pharmacist
Maternity Nurse
Nurse
2001
75,295
18,887
12,794
51,872
8,801
170,845
Medical Record Officer 8,150
Optician
2002
78,609
19,672
13,662
53,168
8,920
181,800
8,819
24,010
2003
81,328
20,446
14,553
54,381
8,996
192,480
9,317
24,017
2004
81,996
20,772
14,421
53,492
8,628
202,012
10,140
24,652
2005
85,369
21,581
15,271
54,829
8,657
213,644
10,818
26,000
2006
88,214
22,267
15,918
55,845
8,572
223,781
11,413
27,300
2007
91,475
23,126
16,732
57,176
8,587
265,687
12,448
28,712
2008
95,066
23,924
17,541
58,363
8,565
246,840
13,630
30,237
2009
98,434
24,639
18,401
59,717
8,603
258,568
14,447
31,681
2010
101,443
25,390
19,132
60,966
8,578
270,274
15,424
33,218
21,360
Source: Health and Welfare Statistics, The Ministry of Health and Welfare
(2) Medical Institutions & Number of Beds The number of medical institutions and their beds are consistently increasing in Korea. As of 2010, the total number of medical institutions is accounted at 56,244, a 14 times to the number institutions in 2001 (40,276). As more institutions has been established the number of beds has also increased that in 2010 the total number of beds are estimated to be 523,327.
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