A physician enters an emergency room at a hospital in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Despite the government's efforts to deploy military doctors to hospitals facing staffing shortages, confusion persists, with some military doctors refusing to provide medical treatment or return to their original posts, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and medical sector, Friday.

Critics argue that the government's efforts are falling short, pointing out that only eight emergency medical specialists are among the 250 military doctors assigned to hospital emergency rooms, raising questions about the effectiveness of the response.

The government deployed 15 military doctors to five hospitals facing urgent staffing shortages on Wednesday.

The placements included three doctors each at Ajou University Hospital and Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, two at Chungbuk National University Hospital, two at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital and five at Kangwon National University Hospital.

But hospitals are reporting that they are unable to immediately utilize the military doctors deployed to emergency rooms.

Among them, the military doctors sent to Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital opted to return to their units after discussions revealed they were not suited for emergency room duties.

These doctors, who were essential specialists rather than emergency medicine experts, expressed concerns about the unexpected demands of working in an emergency setting, noting that they had not been informed about this requirement in advance.

Similarly, at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, where two dispatched military doctors specialize in emergency medicine, the deployed doctors are currently evaluating their assignments after reviewing the scope of their duties.

Kangwon National University Hospital has yet to assign its five military doctors to formal duties, citing the need to assess their qualifications and specialties before integrating them into hospital operations.

Despite these issues, the government announced plans to deploy an additional 235 military doctors starting Monday, following the initial deployment of 15.

Concerns are growing as none of the 235 additional doctors specialize in emergency medicine, increasing the likelihood that refusals to work or other complications may arise once again.

The government said it will assess the situation and work closely with the Ministry of National Defense to address the issues.

Baek Kyung-taek, head of the Health Insurance Policy Bureau at the health ministry, acknowledged the difficulties, noting that there have been delays and challenges in coordinating with hospitals to identify the specific services required from the deployed military doctors.

"There are not many emergency medicine specialists among the military doctors, and we've heard that many are hesitant to work in emergency rooms. We will continue to persuade them to participate in ways that best support hospital operations," he said.

Meanwhile, the government announced the operation of an emergency medical management task force, led by local government officials, from Wednesday to Sept. 25 during the Chuseok holiday. Dedicated coordinators will also be assigned to each of the nation's 409 emergency rooms for one-on-one management.