Public health doctors of oriental medicine have urged the government to authorize them to administer vaccinations directly.
They argued that the “minor medical procedures” permitted under the Rural Healthcare Act for public health nurses and other designated officials should also be extended to public health doctors of oriental medicine.
The Association of Public Health Doctors of Korean Medicine (APKOM) said in a news release on Thursday that empowering these practitioners is essential to address the shortage of public health doctors and reduce medical service gaps in rural and fishing villages.
A day earlier, APKOM also called for granting public health doctors of oriental medicine limited prescription rights for basic medications. The group further suggested establishing a “Public Medical Academy” with a one- to two-year training program that would allow oriental medicine practitioners to qualify for the national medical licensing exam.
“The shortage of public health doctors is severely limiting the diagnostic capacity of health centers. What residents in rural and fishing villages need most right now is care for chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, along with vaccinations,” APKOM said. “These are considered minor medical procedures and are already permitted for public health officials, but public health doctors of oriental medicine still lack this authority and therefore cannot be properly utilized.”
APKOM emphasized that these practitioners can safely perform minor procedures after basic training. “Public health doctors of oriental medicine receive six years of comprehensive education at medical schools of oriental medicine, covering the fundamentals of medicine as well as clinical subjects such as anatomy, physiology, internal medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine. They are fully equipped with the competencies required in public health center settings,” the group noted. “They could be deployed immediately after receiving basic training.”
The group concluded, “Granting public health doctors of oriental medicine the authority to perform minor medical procedures would be the most effective way to close the healthcare gap in rural and fishing communities.”