Despite medical vacuum... This year's sales at plastic surgery clinics already at 74% of last year's = South Korea

In South Korea, while the medical system continues to be in turmoil due to the mass resignation of medical residents, it has been revealed that the sales of domestic orthopedic clinics in July this year had already reached 74% of last year's total sales.
According to documents on the current status of domestic orthopedic hospitals received by the office of Kim Mi-ae, a ruling party lawmaker on the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, from the National Health Insurance Service on the 16th, as of July this year,
The sales (total medical expenses) of orthopedic clinics in the city of Seoul was 37.8 billion won (approximately 4,068,300,000 yen). This is 73.7% of the total sales of 51.3 billion won (approximately 5,437,850,000 yen) last year.
In this way, the sales of domestic orthopedic clinics continue to increase. In 2021, it recorded 37 billion won (approximately 3.922 billion yen), up from the previous year (23.4 billion won (approximately 2.48 billion yen)).
Last year's sales were up 2.6 times higher than in 2019 (19.8 billion won (about 2,098.81 million won)).
However, the rate at which orthopedic clinics are opening has been slowing.
The number of orthopedic clinics increased by 5.0% from 1,011 in 2019 to 1,062 the following year.
However, since 2021, the year-on-year growth rate has been steadily declining.
As of July this year, there were a total of 1,183 orthopedic clinics, an increase of just 16 from a year ago.
Rep. Kim said, "Relevant authorities, such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare, are analyzing the root causes of the increase in the number and sales of plastic surgery clinics amid the COVID-19 pandemic and medical chaos.
"This must be included in the detailed policy of health care reform."