More than half of delivery claims in Incheon in 2024 were concentrated at medical institutions in Michuhol-gu.
During the same period, Gyeyang-gu recorded 0 delivery claims, while three areas in Jeonnam were counted as having no delivery claims for 7 years.
A more direct problem than the decline in the number of deliveries is that mothers’ options for giving birth nearby differ depending on which area they live in.
3-Line Summary
1. 54.1% of Incheon deliveries were concentrated in Michuhol-gu
2. Hwasun, Muan, and Jindo in Jeonnam recorded 0 cases over 7 years
3. The presence of a delivery room and actual deliveries may differ
Michuhol-gu: 7 thousand 139 Cases; Gyeyang-gu: 0 Cases
According to a report by the Kiho Ilbo, data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service showed that delivery claims in Incheon totaled 13 thousand 208 cases in 2024. Compared with 15 thousand 121 cases in 2018, this was a 12.7% decrease over 6 years. Even amid the overall decline in deliveries, differences among areas with medical institutions became more pronounced.
Medical institutions in Michuhol-gu recorded 7 thousand 139 delivery claims, accounting for 54.1% of all deliveries in Incheon. This was a 16.4% increase from 6 thousand 133 cases in 2018. By contrast, Gyeyang-gu declined annually from 802 cases in 2018 and reached 0 cases in 2024; as of the time of the report, it was understood to have no hospital where deliveries were possible.
Namdong-gu declined from 2 thousand 62 cases to 966 during the same period, while Bupyeong-gu fell from 2 thousand 225 to 1 thousand 356. Yeonsu-gu also decreased from 755 cases to 656. Even within one city, the locations of medical institutions capable of handling deliveries appear concentrated in specific areas.
Three Areas in Jeonnam Recorded 0 Cases Over 7 Years Even at Medical Institutions with Delivery Rooms
According to a Gwangju Ilbo article published on Daum, Hwasun-gun, Muan-gun, and Jindo-gun in Jeonnam had no delivery claims at all from 2018 through 2024 among medical institutions with delivery rooms. There were 15 areas nationwide with a delivery gap under this criterion, and Jeonnam’s three areas matched the number in Gyeonggi.
Here, delivery-gap area refers to a place where a medical institution with a delivery room exists in the area but no delivery claims were recorded during the analysis period. It should be distinguished from areas with no delivery room at all. The same article reported that, among Jeonnam’s 22 cities and counties in 2024, 12 areas—including Naju City and Damyang, Gokseong, and Gurye counties—had no delivery rooms.
Even when a delivery room exists, an actual delivery may not take place, while residents of areas without delivery rooms may be more likely to have to seek a more distant medical institution. Both indicators must be considered together to properly understand regional access to childbirth care.
The Challenge of an Aging Medical Workforce in Incheon
The average age of obstetrics and gynecology specialists in Incheon rose from 52.8 in 2020 to 54.7 in 2024. Among the 304 specialists in 2024, those in their 50s were the largest group at 101, and there were no specialists under 30.
Rep. So Byung-hun said that expanding public financial support was necessary, arguing that the existing system of compensating medical institutions in proportion to the number of deliveries alone makes it difficult to maintain childbirth infrastructure in areas with low birth rates. This was the lawmaker’s proposal and does not mean that expanded support had been finalized. However, the issue of childbirth care also appears to concern how to maintain medical institutions and personnel by region, not only the number of newborns.
References
Tags #Deliveries #ChildbirthInfrastructure #IncheonDeliveries #Michuhol-gu #Gyeyang-gu #JeonnamDeliveries #DeliveryGapArea #DeliveryRoom #ObstetricsAndGynecology #ChildbirthCare #EssentialHealthcare #RegionalHealthcare #TravelingForChildbirth