Visiting and Bringing In... The 'Nongchon Wangjin Bus' Rural Home-Visit Service Has Started

Operated 300 Times Annually, Benefiting 60,000 People
Song Miryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, "Committed to Improving Rural Welfare Levels"

Song Miryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, has launched the 'Rural Home-Visit Medical Bus' to address the issue of medical accessibility in rural areas. The Home-Visit Medical Bus is a project where medical staff directly visit residents in rural areas facing the risk of regional extinction to provide medical services such as Western and Korean traditional medicine treatments and dental care.

On the 18th, Minister Song visited Maepo Gymnasium in Danyang, where the 'Rural Home-Visit Medical Bus Launch Ceremony' was held, and said, "We will do our best to ensure that the Rural Home-Visit Medical Bus, which starts today, can improve the happiness and welfare level of our rural communities."

The aging rate in rural areas is 25.0% (based on the 2022 population census), higher than the national average of 17.7%. The prevalence rate, which indicates the probability of illness, is also higher in rural areas at 34.5%, compared to 24.8% in urban areas. However, healthcare institutions are only 43.5% in city areas and 8.0% in county areas. Although rural areas have higher aging and prevalence rates than cities, transportation and medical accessibility are low, making it difficult to receive timely and appropriate medical services.

Since 2013, the government has operated the 'Farmer Happiness Bus' project in cooperation with the NongHyup, providing services such as longevity photos, eye exams and magnifiers, and Western and Korean traditional medical care. The Rural Home-Visit Medical Bus builds on the achievements of the existing Farmer Happiness Bus by strengthening medical services and expanding the target population.

Song Miryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is having a conversation with a resident at the Danyang Maepo Gymnasium, where the Rural Mobile Clinic Bus launch ceremony was held.

Minister Song emphasized, "Rural areas lack basic living facilities such as hospitals, pharmacies, and restaurants, and transportation is poor, making it difficult for rural residents, especially the elderly, to receive necessary medical services in time. Medical staff will directly visit rural areas with insufficient medical infrastructure to provide necessary medical services such as Western and Korean traditional medicine treatments, dental and ophthalmic examinations, and physical therapy for disease prevention and management of rural residents."

The Home-Visit Medical Bus operates in two ways: by directly visiting rural villages or by transporting residents by bus. This year, it plans to operate 300 times annually targeting rural and depopulated areas. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expects that more than 60,000 residents will benefit from medical services annually through the Home-Visit Medical Bus.

The first Home-Visit Medical Bus gathered about 300 elderly and residents from Maepo-eup, Danyang-gun, at the gymnasium to provide various services including Western and Korean traditional medical and dental treatments, oral health examinations, eye exams, health management education, as well as health and medical, legal and tax consultations, and agricultural machinery and vehicle inspections.

At Sangji University Korean Medicine Hospital, 14 medical staff from departments such as Korean internal medicine, Korean rehabilitation medicine, Korean neuropsychiatry, and acupuncture performed acupuncture and moxibustion treatments. The Integrated Health and Medical Volunteer Group provided medical care and emergency treatment education with about 30 healthcare professionals including gastroenterologists, neurosurgeons, and Korean medicine doctors. The Open Medical Society supported dental treatments such as cavity treatment, resin fillings, and denture adjustments, while IOBio educated residents on oral health examinations and oral care methods. Additionally, vision tests and magnifiers were provided to the elderly and residents, and the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and NongHyup offered free legal and tax consultations and free inspections of agricultural machinery and vehicles.