In 1956, the Korean Government established a well-trained leprosy mobile clinic, the first of its kind, in conjunction with the American-Korean Foundation and Office of the Economic Coordinator, and a pioneer project was initiated in Kyongsang Pukdo which has one of the high leprosy prevalence in Korea. The principal activities of the clinic was not only of case-finding and treatment, but also of treatment of the inmates of leprosaria and colonies, and epidemiological survey of leprosy was carried out in the province.
At the same time, the Catholic Laprosy Service and the Leprosy Mission have independently organized leprosy mobile clinics.
In 1955, the Government encouraged by the effect of the mobile clinic in finding many undiscovered patients and has organized another mobile clinic in Kyongsang Namdo which is one of the neighbouring provinces of Kyongsang Pukdo.
The staff of each mobile clinic consisted of 8 members and the case-finding methods were as follows:
Staff:
Senior medical officer 1
Junior medical officer 1
Nurses 2
Laboratory technician 1
Social worker 1
Administrator 1
Driver mechanic 1
Case-finding methods:
1) Mass examination of school children and public markets or gathering places.
2) Community survey for the highest endemic area.
3) Examination of suspicious cases and contacts based on information.:
4) Utilization of out-patient clinics.
Durhig 19 months, as the results of mobile clinic activities in Kyongsang Pukdo, the clinic. found 1, 645 home-patients, which was 10 times larger than the officially registered number of cases at´that time, and 2,452 cases of inmates were treated by the clinic; in Kyongsang.
Namdo, during 41 months, the clinic found 1, 440 home-patients and 2, 933 cases of inmates, were treated regulararly.
In 1963, t11e Government selected Wolsung-gun and Ulchu-gun as sample survey areas for leprosy with the assistance of WHO and UNICEF. The leprosy mobile clinic effectively performed an epidemiological survey and found that the prevalence rate was 2.4 per 1,000^ population in the area and recognized that the most effective method for case-finding of leprosy is home-visiting, utilization of information and clinics for out-patients.
On the other hand, CIDR, working in. Cholla Pukdo, acquired good results through the: effort of negative leprosy patients working as para-medical workers who carried out the case-finding activities.
At present, there are presumptively about 60, 000 of home-patients in Korea and only about. 15,000 of them are registered with the Health Department and the rest of them (3 j 4 of the total home-patients) are still undiscovered.
From 1966, 9 Government mobile clinics which are maintained with financial assistance. provided jointly by the UNICEF, the German Leprosy Relief Asscciation, the Order of Malta_ and 11 mobile clinics sponsored by voluntary organizations are co-working in the southern. provinces such as Kyongsang Nam-Pukdo, Cholla Nam-Pukdo and Chungchong Nam-Pukdo,
all of which are known to he high prevalence areas in Korea. Each clinic covers the allocated areas with one well-trained para-medical worker in each Gun and systemically operates. for case-finding, treatment, and health education for enlightenment on leprosy.
Mobile clinics seem to be the best means of taking care of leprosy patients, including early case-finding, examination of their contacts for early treatment, tracing of suspicious cases;arrd prevention of the spread of the disease. These seems to be the most economical way and more. effective method of leprosy control in Korea.
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