As romantic as the notion of the country doctor may have been throughout our history, the reality of bringing medical care to rural areas has none of that nostalgic glow.

Across the nation, states have hammered out a range of incentives to keep doctors practicing well beyond the city limits, where the population is smaller and healthcare is often hard to come by. The incentives are needed because doctors — especially specialists — choose to live in communities that can provide a large base of patients.

With the legislation submitted by Josh Green, state representative from the Big Island where he also is a practicing physician, Hawai'i is joining those other states in the battle to maintain medical services to rural residents.

It is high time to give such a proposal serious consideration. With a shortage of family practitioners, obstetrician/gynecologists, orthopedists and other specialists in poor and rural areas of Hawai'i, some urgent care is needed to ensure that doctors are there for these residents, as well as those who live on O'ahu.

Green's idea is to create a "Hawai'i Health Corps" of doctors who agree to practice for five years in areas where there are shortages. In return, they would be eligible to have their medical school tuition and student loans covered by the state.

In addition, the corps would reach out to the poor. Doctors who devote half of their established practices to poor and rural areas, or one-tenth to help the uninsured, would qualify for annual stipends of up to $10,000.

Green's proposal would forgive tuition and loans for, at most, 20 doctors a year and cover stipends for a maximum of 100 doctors annually.

Lawmakers will have to calculate what can be afforded with the current financial crunch. And this effort certainly won't negate the need for tort reform to keep malpractice costs down and measures to make rural medical care pencil out for the long term. For example, the idea of tax exemptions for new healthcare facilities in underserved areas is a good one.

But even if critics describe such incentives as a short-term remedy, such "bandages" are essential, especially when the patient is bleeding.