Handwritten Thank You Letter Arrives for Yangcheon-gu Nursing Facility's Proactive Response Audit

Emergency Meeting Held for Care Facilities, Immediate Response Efforts... Forming Network Among Long-Term Care Facilities for Daily Situation Monitoring

Composite handwritten letter onto photo of elderly residents being transported at a nursing facility in Yangcheon-gu

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “When a COVID-19 case occurred at a nearby nursing facility, my heart sank as a worker at the nursing facility. At first, I was at a loss on how to respond and felt completely overwhelmed, but thanks to the prompt response and dedicated efforts of the Yangcheon-gu Public Health Center and the Elderly Welfare Department staff, we were able to overcome the confusion.”

On the 18th, a thank-you letter from a resident operating a senior nursing facility in Sinwol 2-dong arrived at Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young).

Senior nursing facilities are places where high-risk elderly residents with weakened immune systems and underlying conditions live, making them particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases.

The district has been working hard on quarantine by providing 343,850 masks, 7,465 hand sanitizers, and disinfecting the facilities nine times each through professional disinfection companies at 49 nursing facilities and daycare centers in the district to prevent the spread of group infections and silent transmission among vulnerable groups.

Additionally, a network between the district and nursing facilities has been established to check the COVID-19 situation daily and prepare for immediate response to emergencies.

Recently, when a cluster infection occurred at a local nursing facility, the Public Health Center and Elderly Welfare Department staff promptly transferred confirmed cases to hospitals, completely separated the movement paths between floors of confirmed patients, and prevented the spread of infection.

Subsequently, an emergency meeting for nursing facilities was held to emphasize quarantine rules within the facilities, actively assess the on-site situation, and prepare response measures, responding swiftly.

The resident who wrote the letter expressed gratitude, saying, “Above all, the district office and our nursing facility director exchange information about the on-site situation daily, creating a spirit of mutual encouragement. Although it is difficult, we endure under challenging conditions because we can work together.”

Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “Receiving a letter from a facility worker who is dedicated to quarantine and caring for the elderly on site gives me strength,” and added, “We will continue to maintain solidarity between the district and nursing facilities and strive even harder for proactive responses to COVID-19.”