1940-60년대 농촌위생연구소의 설립과 활동

Abstract

The idea of creating a medical facility, not just a place for mere examinations and treatments, but a facility composed of a research center, a hospital and also a sanitarium so that it could provide people with comprehensive medical service, in order to resolve the fundamental issue of caring for the health problems displayed by the peasants and the rural community in general, was already suggested by Yi Yeong Chun in the early 1940s. Yi's idea was focused upon prevention of disease attraction instead of treatments of such diseases, so it considered establishing a research center which could be put in charge of surveying & studying the healthcare status of the peasants and also in charge of providing guidance to the public regarding preventive medicine, as a top priority. The existing medical facilities(Euiweon), and the tubercle sanitarium which was to be newly opened, were designed as attachment facilities to the research center. The project was aided by the Shinhan public corporation's financial support, and on July 1st, 1948, the Institute for Rural Health, consisted of facilities such as an attachment hospital & treatment center, the office of general affairs, office of research, office of guidance, and office of education, was finally opened. In the 1950s, the Institute continued medical examinations and provisions of treatments which had been maintained since the 1930s, and it also conducted various research projects through the office of research. Through the Nursing school, surveys of rural healthcare status continued, and medical personnel who would take charge of the task of enlightening the rural public were trained as well. in the 1950s, the institute became a significantly large facility, equipped with a research center, a nurses' school, 2 main hospitals, and 7 treatment centers. The spirit of foundation of the Institute for Rural Health, which was no other than securing sufficient healthcare for the peasants and the rural societies, could have been transferred over to the government of the newly born Republic of Korea. Yet the government dumped the financial pressure upon the rural areas, and did not pay any attention to the healthcare issue except the prevention of epidemics. The direction set by the government itself was different from the one that had been set by the Institute. The Republic of Korea was turning its attention from rural areas to urban areas, and from agriculture to industrial production. As a result, the objective of the Institute for Rural Health, creating a healthy Korea based upon healthy peasants, was severely weakened.