The "treatable mortality rate," which indicates deaths that could have been prevented with timely treatment, showed significant differences by region on the 27th.
According to the data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to People Power Party lawmaker Baek Jong-heon, the region with the highest treatable mortality rate in 2023, per 100,000 people, is Chungbuk at 49.94. Considering the population of Chungbuk is about 1.6 million, it means approximately 800 residents die annually due to inadequate treatment.
The region with the lowest treatable mortality rate is Ulsan at 36.93. The difference in treatable mortality rates between the two regions is 13.01 per 100,000 people. Besides, the treatable mortality rates are Incheon (49.59), Busan (49.47), Gangwon (49.26), Jeonbuk (48.14), Gyeongbuk (47.91), Jeonnam (47.57), Chungnam (46.39), Daegu (45.86), Jeju (45.67), Gwangju (45.54), Gyeongnam (44.27), Gyeonggi (42.32), Daejeon (41.81), Sejong (40.98), and Seoul (39.55).
The disparity in medical care is widening due to differences in physician workforce and large hospitals in each region. There are also cases where patients living in areas with a shortage of essential medical care providers or large hospitals travel to other regions for medical treatment. In particular, in emergencies or cases of heart disease that require swift action, there are times when missing the golden time leads to death. Lawmaker Baek noted that "expanding regional public hospitals and supporting essential medical personnel are necessary to strengthen regional healthcare measures."