Half of Basic Local Governments Are 'Medically Vulnerable Areas' with Difficult Emergency Medical Care... Jeonnam Has the Most with 20 Locations

Monitoring Medically Underserved Areas by National Medical Center
'Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Gangwon' Particularly Vulnerable

About half of the basic local governments nationwide were surveyed as 'medically vulnerable areas' where it is difficult to receive childbirth or emergency medical treatment. In particular, many medically vulnerable areas were confirmed in the Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Gangwon regions, which are far from the Seoul metropolitan area.

According to the '2022 Medical Vulnerable Area Monitoring Study' report submitted by the National Medical Center to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 5th, among the 250 cities, counties, and districts surveyed nationwide, 108 places (43.2%) were classified as childbirth medical vulnerable areas. Vulnerability was considered when the proportion of reaching the delivery room within one hour was less than 30%. By metropolitan local government, Jeonnam had the most medically vulnerable areas (20 places), followed by Gyeongbuk (19 places). Next were Gangwon (14 places), Gyeongnam and Chungnam (13 places), Chungbuk and Jeonbuk (10 places), and Jeju (1 place).

Emergency medical vulnerable areas were confirmed to be 39.2% of the 250 cities, counties, and districts. Emergency medical vulnerability was defined as cases where it is impossible to reach a regional emergency medical center within one hour, or where the proportion of reaching a local emergency medical center exceeding 30 minutes is over 30%. Emergency medical vulnerable areas were confirmed as 17 places in Jeonnam, 16 in Gyeongbuk, 15 in Gangwon, 14 in Gyeongnam, 11 in Chungnam, 9 in Jeonbuk, 8 in Chungbuk, 5 in Gyeonggi, 2 in Incheon, and 1 in Jeju. They were especially numerous in provinces far from the Seoul metropolitan area.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.