Military and public health doctors deployed to emergency rooms to help ease medical staff shortages will be granted immunity from liability for damages resulting from medical malpractice, health authorities said Sunday.

Since last Wednesday, 250 military physicians have been assigned to emergency rooms and other understaffed departments after a significant number of junior doctors resigned in February to protest the government's decision to significantly increase medical school admissions quotas.

The health ministry said hospitals have submitted consent forms agreeing to bear responsibility for up to 20 million won (US$14,900) in compensation for medical malpractice cases involving these substitute doctors.

To alleviate the potential financial burden on hospitals, the ministry has secured a group insurance policy that covers up to 200 million won per claim, with a total coverage limit of 2 billion won, officials said.

The deployment of military doctors follows reports of some military doctors struggling with emergency room duties and requesting reassignment to intensive care units.

All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in the military. Medical school graduates can opt to serve as military or public health doctors. However, most of these graduates are general physicians without specialized training in emergency care.

The government has deployed 15 military doctors to assist in the emergency rooms of five hospitals, with another 235 military and public health doctors sent to other understaffed hospitals. (Yonhap)