Seoul, Oct 24 (IANS): South Korea's health ministry on Thursday said it has selected eight institutions to launch a programme in which general hospitals will focus more on treating critical patients while referring those with mild symptoms to local hospitals.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, through the programme, the government aims to have critically ill cases take up 70 per cent of total patients treated at general hospitals, up from the current estimate of 50 per cent, Yonhap news agency reported.

The selected hospitals will receive higher compensation for treating patients with critical or rare conditions, it added.

The move is in line with efforts to address the ongoing medical vacuum, caused by the mass resignation of thousands of trainee doctors since February in protest of the government's plan to increase the number of medical school students.

"Through the project, large hospitals and smaller hospitals can pursue shared growth rather than competition, and patients will receive treatment from the most appropriate institutions," the health ministry said in a statement.

The government, meanwhile, also renewed its call for the medical community to engage in talks without preconditions to help resolve the prolonged walkout by trainee doctors.

"Dialogue and communication are the first steps to rebuilding trust and the most effective way to tackle ongoing challenges," Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said.

The government earlier decided to raise medical school seats by 1,500 for 2025 as part of its plan to increase the number of students by around 2,000 over the next five years to address the shortage of doctors.

The Korea Medical Association, the country's largest group of doctors, has been demanding that the government scrap the plan to increase medical school seats before they agree to engage in any form of dialogue.