Government fills medical void by allowing telemedicine for public health centers

As part of the emergency medical care system to cope with doctors' collective action, the government will expand non-face-to-face medical treatment implemented by all types of medical institutions to public health centers and their branch offices.

The government said so at Wednesday's regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

"After the government began to dispatch public health doctors to strengthen the emergency medical system, some localities, including South Jeolla Province, requested to allow non-face-to-face treatment for public health centers and their branches amid concerns about healthcare void at provincial hospitals caused by such dispatches," Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Park Min-soo said.

Park added that the government actively reflected the local governments' requests, temporarily allowing 246 public health centers and 1,341 branches to provide non-face-to-face treatment starting Wednesday.

As a result, people with mild illnesses can receive counseling, diagnosis, and prescriptions through non-face-to-face treatment from local public health centers or their branches. The same procedures for telemedicine, such as sending prescriptions to pharmacies, will be applied to them.

"The latest measure will make it more convenient for people who have been using public health centers for health care and prevention," Vice Minister Park said. "Doctors at public health centers and their branches will also be able to manage patients with mild illnesses and chronic diseases prescribed the same medication without traveling to areas far from their workplaces, such as islands and remote areas."