【브레이크뉴스 울릉】전종환 기자=경북도는 25일 경북도청 다목적실에서  양금희 경북도 경제부지사, 남한권 울릉군수, 포항·대구·강릉의 의료기관장 8명이 참석한 가운데 울릉군의 응급의료 위기 상황을 해결하기 위한 업무협약을 체결했다고 밝혔다. 

울릉도는 우리나라 최동단에 위치한 섬으로, 군민 9천여 명과 독도경비대, 군인들이 거주하며, 연간 40만 명의 관광객이 찾는 관광지다. 그러나 육지와 연결된 다리가 없고, 강풍과 폭설 등의 기후 변화로 이동에 큰 제약이 있어 대표적인 의료 취약지로 분류된다.

울릉군 보건의료원은 군민과 관광객의 건강을 지켜온 유일한 의료기관으로, 현재 16명의 의사가 근무 중이나, 그 중 11명이 공중보건의로 구성되어 있어 중증 응급환자 치료에 어려움이 있다. 특히 의정 사태 장기화로 4월부터는 공중보건의 배치에 어려움을 겪을 것으로 예상되며, 이는 울릉군 의료 시스템에 심각한 영향을 미칠 우려가 있다.

이를 해결하기 위해 지난해 10월부터 전문가 자문과 울릉군과의 의견 수렴을 바탕으로 울릉군 응급의료 강화 추진 계획을 수립했다. 이에 따라 2025년도에 14억 5천만원, 향후 3년간 약 48억원을 도비로 지원할 계획이다.

주요 추진 계획으로는 응급의학과 전문의 확보, 협력병원의 주기적인 파견 진료, 응급 환자 진단 및 치료를 위한 시설과 장비 보강, 의료인력의 거주·근로 여건 개선, 중증 응급 환자의 신속한 이송 및 치료를 위한 협력병원 운영 등이 포함된다.

이번 협약은 울릉군의 중증 응급환자 치료에 협력해온 8개 병원(포항의료원, 동국대학교경주병원, 포항성모병원, 포항세명기독병원, 에스포항병원, 대구파티마병원, 칠곡경북대학교병원, 강릉아산병원)을 중심으로, '울릉군민의 생명과 건강을 지키기 위한 협력'을 다짐하고, 체계적인 협력을 위해 마련됐다.

협약 내용에는 ▴중증 응급 환자 대응, ▴당일 외래진료 시스템 마련, ▴의사 파견 및 원격 협진, ▴의료취약지 공공·민간 협력 네트워크 구축 등이 포함되어, 울릉군민들에게 더 나은 의료 환경을 제공하는 중요한 첫걸음이 될 것으로 기대된다.

경북도는 협약 체결 후 협력병원 의료진 12명(의사 9명, 간호사 3명)과 함께 울릉군에 야간 크루즈로 들어가, 26일 군민들에게 응급의학과, 안과, 이비인후과, 비뇨의학과 등 9개 진료과목으로 의료지원을 실시하고, 27일 복귀할 예정이다.

<구글 번역으로 번역한 영문 기사의 전문 입니다. 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 밝힙니다.>

Gyeongsangbuk-do and Ulleung-gun Strengthen Cooperation to Overcome Emergency Medical Crisis

On the 25th, Gyeongsangbuk-do announced that it signed a business agreement to resolve the emergency medical crisis in Ulleung-gun with the attendance of Yang Geum-hee, Vice Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do Economic Affairs, Ulleung-gun Mayor of South Korea, and eight medical institution directors from Pohang, Daegu, and Gangneung at the multipurpose room of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Office.

Ulleung-do is an island located at the easternmost tip of Korea, and is home to 9,000 residents, the Dokdo Coast Guard, and soldiers, and is a tourist destination visited by 400,000 tourists annually. However, it is classified as a representative medically vulnerable area due to the lack of a bridge connecting it to the mainland and significant restrictions on movement due to climate change such as strong winds and heavy snow.

Ulleung-gun Health Center is the only medical institution that has protected the health of residents and tourists, and although 16 doctors are currently working, 11 of them are public health doctors, making it difficult to treat critically ill emergency patients. In particular, due to the prolonged legislative situation, it is expected that there will be difficulties in deploying public health from April, and this is likely to have a serious impact on the Ulleung-gun medical system.

In order to resolve this, Gyeongbuk Province established a plan to strengthen emergency medical services in Ulleung-gun based on expert advice and opinions from Ulleung-gun since October of last year. Accordingly, it plans to provide 1.45 billion won in provincial funds in 2025 and approximately 4.8 billion won over the next three years.

Key implementation plans include securing emergency medicine specialists, periodic dispatch of medical services from cooperative hospitals, reinforcement of facilities and equipment for diagnosis and treatment of emergency patients, improvement of living and working conditions of medical personnel, and operation of cooperative hospitals for rapid transfer and treatment of critically ill emergency patients.

This agreement was established to pledge 'cooperation to protect the lives and health of Ulleung County residents' and to systematically cooperate, focusing on eight hospitals (Pohang Medical Center, Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital, Pohang St. Mary's Hospital, Pohang Semyung Christian Hospital, S-Pohang Hospital, Daegu Fatima Hospital, Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital, and Gangneung Asan Hospital) that have been cooperating in the treatment of severe emergency patients in Ulleung County.

The agreement includes ▴ response to severe emergency patients, ▴ establishment of a same-day outpatient treatment system, ▴ dispatch of doctors and remote collaboration, and ▴ establishment of a public-private cooperation network in medically underserved areas, and is expected to be an important first step toward providing a better medical environment for Ulleung County residents.

Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, "Despite the difficult situation due to the legislative situation, I would like to thank everyone who has cooperated for Ulleung County, and this will be a great help to the residents of Ulleung County." He continued, “If we can solve Ulleungdo’s medical problems, we can also solve other medically vulnerable areas such as Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Bonghwa,” and said that he would create a good model for improving medically vulnerable areas through cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Meanwhile, after signing the agreement, Gyeongbuk Province will enter Ulleung-gun on a night cruise with 12 medical staff (9 doctors and 3 nurses) from the partner hospital, provide medical support to the residents of the county on the 26th in 9 departments including emergency medicine, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and urology, and will return on the 27th.