Yonhap The government is reviewing whether doctors of Korean medicine can be deployed to help address a shortage of medical staff in rural areas.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday it agrees with a parliamentary proposal calling for expanding the roles and participation of doctors of Korean medicine “in light of the decreased number of public health doctors.”
The ministry plans to examine how Korean medicine services could be strengthened in public medical facilities, including local public health centers.
The review comes amid a sharp decline in the number of public health doctors.
South Korea has used the military draft system to fill gaps in rural health care by assigning medical students and trainee doctors to medically underserved areas. They can then fulfill their mandatory military service there as public health doctors.
But, as the pool of draft-eligible men shrinks and conditions for active-duty soldiers improve, more medical students are choosing active-duty in the military instead of serving as public health doctors. This has pushed some rural public health centers to the brink of closure, significantly undermining access to essential care for nearby residents.
Doctors of Korean medicine have welcomed the government’s move, saying they can meet strong demand among older adults for treatment of chronic disease and musculoskeletal pain, such as back and knee conditions.
However, many Western-trained physicians remain skeptical, arguing that doctors of Korean medicine are not qualified to perform emergency procedures or surgery, which are essential in public health settings.
Doctors of Korean medicine undergo a completely different training system focused on traditional medicine, such as herbalology and acupuncture, distinct from Western medicine and its use of medical equipment.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com