The number of civilian patients receiving medical treatment at military hospitals is on the rise amid the prolonged medical crisis with junior doctors' collective action over the government's plan to increase the medical school admissions quota.

According to the Defense Ministry on Sunday, a total of 768 civilians were treated at the country's Armed Forces hospitals between February 19 and April 19.

The Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Gyeonggi Province received the largest number of patients with 397, followed by a military hospital in Daejeon with 110 and Yangju with 59.

During the two-month period, 138 civilians received treatment as inpatients or underwent surgeries at Armed Forces hospitals, with 66 receiving emergency surgeries and 72 others receiving inpatient treatment.

In a visit to the capital hospital last week, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said that military hospitals have more expertise than other medical institutions in the field of trauma and vowed to ensure a priority will be given to serious trauma patients in transferring patients to military hospitals.