SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS AT RURAL AREAS

[Anchor Lead]

Healthcare workers are running short amid the fourth wave of the outbreak and ongoing vaccination drive. Public health doctors from counties and villages are brought in to help, affecting the operation of community health clinics in rural areas.

[Pkg]

This is a health center in a farming town which used to have an average of about 400 visitors per month. But today not a single patient can be seen. The resident doctor has been dispatched to a vaccination center for one month.

[Soundbite] Jeong Hyeon-po(Namhae-gun County public health center) : "Dispatches to vaccine, testing and treatment centers are increasing due to rising demand, leaving our center unmanned."

Nine out of 11 public health doctors in Namhae-gun County are in charge of running local clinics. These personnel refer to those who serve in the medical profession instead of mandatory military service. In Namhae-gun county, there are 4 towns without a single hospital or clinic. The situation is similar in 14 cities and counties across Gyeongsangnamdo Province, where as many as 12 small communities only have health centers as their only medical institution.

[Soundbite] Lee Seo-deok(Gohoun-myeon, Namhae-gun County) : "I walk to this center but need to take a bus, which costs 5,000 won for a round trip, to visit one out of town."

But due to the prolonged pandemic dealing a toll on the healthcare system, these doctors serving in rural towns are dispatched to vaccine centers for 2 to 4 weeks. This has caused setbacks, as the remaining doctors are taking turns to operate the local clinics once or twice a week.

[Soundbite] Jeong Tae-ho(Gyeongsangnam-do Prov. health department) : "COVID-19 workforce is currently being extracted. So please use nearby health centers when resident doctors in your town are absent."

Gyeongsangnamdo Provice expects public health centers on the city and county level to resume normal operations by November when the administration of second COVID-19 vaccines is expected to be completed.