Last maternity ward in Miryang closes, forcing pregnant women to travel elsewhere to give birth

The last maternity ward in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, is set to close next month after 40 years of service, prompting pregnant women to seek medical care elsewhere. Miryang Jeil Hospital, which opened in 1986, has been a vital institution in the region, handling over 20,000 deliveries since its inception. However, dwindling medical staff and the province's declining population have led to the hospital's imminent closure.

With just two doctors left to run the delivery unit, the hospital's director has decided that continuing operations is no longer feasible. The closure of this last maternity ward is likely to exacerbate the decline of provincial areas in South Korea, as pregnant women will now need to travel to other regions for childbirth.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.