Damyang County Overhauls Health Subcenter Operations in Response to Public Health Doctor Reduction

Focusing on Strengthening Medical Services in Vulnerable Areas
Enhancing Operational Efficiency Through Dual Maintenance and Integration Models

Amid growing concerns about medical service gaps in rural areas due to the reduction in the number of public health doctors, Damyang County in Jeonnam has announced a comprehensive overhaul of its health subcenter operation system.

On May 7, Damyang County stated that it will restructure the operation of its health subcenters and strengthen medical services in vulnerable areas to prevent a medical service gap caused by the decrease in the allocation of public health doctors.

Aerial view of Damyang County Office, Jeonnam.

This measure is part of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Pilot Project for the Functional Reorganization of Regional Public Health Institutions." The initiative aims to address the shortage of medical resources resulting from the reduction in public health doctors and to ensure residents' access to basic medical care.

With the number of public health doctors in the medical field reduced by two compared to the previous year, the county decided to adjust the operation of its 11 health subcenters. In particular, the health subcenters will be categorized as either "maintenance type" or "integrated type" based on the presence of private healthcare institutions in each town or township, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency.

First, the four health subcenters located in Damyang-eup, Goseo-myeon, Changpyeong-myeon, Subuk-myeon, and Daejeon-myeon, where private clinics or hospitals are present, will be operated as "maintenance type." These centers will continue to provide medical services by reinforcing their cooperative network with nearby private medical institutions and the main public health center.

In contrast, the seven township areas of Bongsan-myeon, Gasamunhak-myeon, Daedeok-myeon, Mujung-myeon, Geumseong-myeon, Yong-myeon, and Wolsan-myeon, where there are no private hospitals or where accessibility is low, will be converted to "integrated type." In these regions, the head of the health clinic will rotate between the health subcenter and the clinic, providing medical services twice a week to minimize inconvenience for residents.

A Damyang County official stated, "In the face of the crisis of reduced medical personnel, we will efficiently improve the local public health system to resolve medical service gaps. We are committed to building an environment where county residents can receive stable medical services regardless of where they live."

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