The South Korean government has taken action to address the diminishing number of public health doctors by prioritizing their placement in medically vulnerable regions, particularly rural and island areas lacking sufficient healthcare facilities. This decision comes from concerns that the decline of public health doctors could exacerbate essential healthcare gaps in these regions, especially considering recent conflicts in the medical community that have led to a decrease in the number of public health doctors from 945 last year to 593 this year, a drop of 37.2%. The Health and Welfare Ministry has proposed strategies to maintain healthcare services in areas without public health doctors by deploying health care personnel and implementing mobile care clinics.

To complement the work of public health doctors and health care personnel, the ministry plans to enhance telemedicine and remote cooperation efforts. Nurses and support staff at health centers will guide users on how to access telemedicine services, and future developments will focus on creating telemedicine models specifically for vulnerable medical regions. The initiative aims to ensure basic healthcare service continuity while integrating advanced information and communication technology (ICT) into healthcare delivery.

Additionally, the health ministry is looking to secure a broader workforce to provide essential medical care in these regions through various means, such as supporting pilot programs for contract-type essential doctors and increasing recruitment efforts for senior physicians with extensive experience. This multifaceted approach underscores the government’s commitment to improve healthcare accessibility and quality in areas most in need of medical support, ensuring that healthcare professionals build their understanding and experience in local medical environments while responding to pressing healthcare needs.