Nearly 90% of Public Health Doctor Decline Occurs in Non-Metropolitan Areas

Yeongho-Nam Especially Vulnerable: 1,965 Reduced to 1,401
"Urgent Need for Measures to Prevent Healthcare Gaps in Underserved Areas"

Over the past five years, nearly 90% of the decrease in public health doctors (Gongbo-ui) has occurred in non-metropolitan areas. This indicates that the gap in the public health system between the metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions is widening rapidly.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Assemblywoman Seo Myeongok of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, the number of public health doctors fell from 3,523 in 2021 to 2,551 this year, a decrease of 972. Of this decrease, 865 were from regions outside the metropolitan area, accounting for 89% of the total reduction.

The decline was particularly pronounced in the Yeongho-Nam region (Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk). The number of public health doctors in Yeongho-Nam dropped by 564, from 1,965 in 2021 to 1,401 this year. In contrast, the number of public health doctors in the metropolitan area decreased by only 107, from 343 to 236 over the same period.

Public health doctors are responsible for local healthcare, working at health subcenters in medically underserved areas. Health subcenters are smaller than public health centers, which are found at the city, county, or district level, and are established in township or village areas. Due to poor living conditions and a lack of volunteer doctors, public health doctors are almost exclusively assigned to these subcenters.

The shortage of public health doctors is worsening because more medical students are enlisting as active-duty soldiers instead of serving as public health doctors. According to the Korean Association of Public Health Doctors, 2,430 medical students enlisted as active-duty soldiers in the first half of this year alone. This is more than an elevenfold increase compared to the 214 medical students who enlisted as active-duty soldiers in all of 2021. The association expects that 4,700 medical students will enlist as active-duty soldiers this year.

The main reason medical students are avoiding public health service is the much longer service period. While active-duty soldiers in the Army serve for 18 months, public health doctors must serve for 37 months. In addition, the monthly salary for public health doctors assigned to regional health subcenters is between 2.4 million and 2.5 million won after tax, which is not significantly different from the maximum 2.05 million won received by regular sergeants. The number of public health doctors has dropped to half of the 2014 level, resulting in an increased workload for each individual, which is also believed to be a contributing factor.

In May, Assemblywoman Han Jia of the People Power Party sponsored a bill to shorten the service period for military doctors and public health doctors to two years as a way to address these issues. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is currently discussing with the Ministry of National Defense the possibility of shortening the service period and recently sent an official letter to local governments nationwide requesting an increase in allowances for public health doctors.

Although the government and some in the political sphere are taking steps to address the issue, experts point out that much more active and multi-faceted efforts are urgently needed to restore the rapidly deteriorating public health system in rural areas. Assemblywoman Seo stated, "Public health doctors are the last bastion of healthcare in vulnerable areas such as rural and fishing villages," adding, "To prevent gaps in local healthcare, comprehensive measures are needed to shorten the service period and improve treatment conditions."

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