Gochang-gun Protects Vulnerable Groups Through Visiting Health Care

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jae-gil] Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk is taking the lead in the role of health managers by identifying health-vulnerable groups within the region.

According to the Gochang-gun Public Health Center on the 26th, since the beginning of this month, about 40 health personnel from the health center, branch offices, and clinics have been visiting 1,973 households of health-vulnerable groups, chronic disease patients, and home cancer patients who are targets of community health management.

The managers are distributing nutritional supplements and essential vitamins, masks, and providing health consultations through basic checkups (blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.), as well as guiding proper handwashing, cough etiquette, and household disinfection habits.

In particular, they educate on the continuous management of medication for hypertension and diabetes, and check on health issues and meals daily via phone calls.

With the suspension of senior centers, which serve as community gathering places during the off-season in rural farming areas, and recommendations from various mass media to refrain from going out, the elderly are experiencing increased anxiety and physical and psychological difficulties.

Moreover, village senior centers have traditionally provided communal meals for the elderly during the off-season, but with the difficulty of using multi-use facilities, there is growing concern about nutritional imbalance, especially among elderly living alone.

Choi Hyun-sook, director of the Gochang-gun Public Health Center, said, “During this somewhat challenging time due to COVID-19, we will do our best to provide detailed attention and health management for the health-vulnerable elderly in the Gochang area.”