Buan County Deploys 12 Public Health Doctors to "Minimize Gaps in Medical Services"

Strengthening Medical Services in Underserved Island Regions Such as Wido

Buan County in Jeonbuk has deployed public health doctors to minimize gaps in local medical services.

According to Buan County on April 22, starting from April 20, twelve public health doctors have been assigned to healthcare institutions in the region, launching efforts to improve residents' health and provide medical services.

Buan County, Jeonbuk Province, conducted job training related to public health duties for public health doctors on the 15th. Photo by Buan County

Among the personnel deployed this time, five are medical public health doctors. Of these, three will rotate between Buan County Health Center and local health clinics to provide medical care, while the remaining two will be stationed at the Wido Health Clinic, which serves the island area, to support medically underserved regions.

The rotation schedule is as follows: medical care is provided at Boan Health Clinic on Mondays and Tuesdays, at Jusang and Sangseo Health Clinics on Wednesdays, and at Haseo Health Clinic on Thursdays and Fridays. At Baeksan Health Clinic (Monday and Tuesday) and Dongjin Health Clinic (Thursday and Friday), senior doctors are responsible for patient care. In contrast, the clinics in Gyehwa, Byeonsan, Jinseo, and Julpo townships will temporarily suspend medical services until physician staffing is secured, considering that residents can use private medical institutions and pharmacies in these areas.

The decrease in the number of public health doctors is attributed to a combination of factors: an increase in the proportion of female medical students, a rise in active-duty military enlistment, and training and education gaps for residents and medical students caused by conflicts between the government and medical associations from 2024 through 2025.

Buan County is actively utilizing support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare's senior doctor program and essential medical personnel initiatives, while also recruiting contract-based physicians to address the shortage of medical staff. At the same time, the county is conducting job training for public health doctors to enhance their on-site response capabilities and is focusing administrative efforts on reducing gaps in medical services for residents.

An official from Buan County stated, "We are doing our utmost to secure medical personnel through our own recruitment of contract-based doctors," adding, "We will continue working to minimize gaps in medical services for our residents."

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