Healthcare gap amid doctors' discharge

[Anchor]

In rural areas, where there is a shortage of medical facilities, health centers are often the only source of health care.

However, in Gangwon Province, many public health caregivers working at health centers are set to be discharged soon, raising concerns about a healthcare gap.

Reporter Ha Cho-hee has the story.

[Report]

This health center is the only medical institution in the entire district.

Residents can only receive treatment here two days a week.

This is because there are no public health doctors assigned to the health center, so they come from neighboring villages to provide services.

[Wi Jae-hak/Chuncheon City, Nam-myeon: "Coming here for treatment and getting prescriptions really helps us. (Without public health doctors) we would have to go to the city."]

However, starting next month, even this service may come to a halt.

The public health doctor who has been providing mobile services is set to be discharged.

[Park Kyung-ho/Public Health Doctor/Discharge Scheduled: "I'm worried about who will fill this position after I leave. I've heard it is still undecided so it is concerning."]

There are about 240 public health doctors currently working in Gangwon Province.

Of these, around one-third, or over 90, are scheduled to be discharged next month.

The problem is that the vacant positions will not be filled after their discharge.

The number of public health doctors in Gangwon Province was at over 300 four years ago, but it has decreased to around 240 last year.

This year, the nationwide selection for public health doctors is expected to be limited to about 250.

[Kim Hee-soon/Hwaseong County, Ucheon-myeon: "(Public health doctors) must come. Rural people need them. Those without cars cannot do anything immediately. They need to come."]

With the allocation of public health doctors by region approaching next month, concerns about a healthcare gap in rural areas are growing.

This is KBS News, Ha Cho-hee.