No pharmacies in sight, and public health doctors are nowhere to be found in rural villages: 'Must we just not get sick?'

The fabric of rural healthcare in South Korea is fraying as a critical shortage of public health doctors (Gongbo-ui) leaves once-served communities in a state of medical neglect. In areas like Dongsan-myeon, Chuncheon, residents are facing the stark reality of having no access to doctors or even pharmacies, turning their villages into what are effectively 'medical deserts.' The recent departure of a public health doctor upon completing his service has left the local health center shuttered, with an announcement stating that medical services are unavailable until a new doctor is assigned. This situation leaves vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly, in a desperate predicament, with the nearest city an hour-long bus ride away on infrequent services.

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The young doctor who used to visit our village has finished his service and the health center has closed. Should we just not get sick until a new doctor arrives?

The root of this crisis lies in a confluence of factors, most notably the disproportionately long mandatory service period for public health doctors—36 months—compared to the significantly reduced service terms for regular soldiers. This disparity is a major deterrent, with a vast majority of aspiring doctors citing the lengthy service as the primary reason for not choosing this path. Compounding the issue is the ongoing dispute over medical school enrollment quotas, which has further disrupted the supply chain of medical personnel. The result is a projected drastic decrease in the number of available public health doctors in the coming years, with a significant portion of rural health centers expected to operate without any medical staff.

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Due to the shortage of public health doctors, we decided to convert health centers in Dongsan-myeon, Seomyeon, and Sabuk-myeon into integrated centers staffed by public health nurses who can perform some medical procedures. However, they require six months of training, so we are arranging for public health nurses from nearby clinics to provide rotating services until the end of October.

Local authorities are struggling to mitigate the impact, exploring options like consolidating health centers and deploying public health nurses who can perform limited medical procedures. However, these are stopgap measures that fail to address the fundamental problem. The article highlights the growing concern that rural residents are being forced to simply 'not get sick' due to the lack of accessible healthcare. The situation underscores a national challenge: how to ensure equitable healthcare access for all citizens, regardless of their location. Without a comprehensive national strategy, including a reduction in the service period for public health doctors and other incentives, the medical void in rural South Korea is likely to widen, leaving its most vulnerable populations increasingly isolated and at risk.

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With no public health doctors available, we can't even get simple medicine like painkillers or fever reducers, let alone go to a hospital. The city is over an hour away by bus, and there are only a few buses a day. The public health doctor was the only hope for the elderly who have difficulty moving around. I don't know what we'll do now.