Hamyang County Health Center, Various Childbirth Promotion Supports from Pregnancy to Delivery...

Promotion of Timely Customized Projects Such as Postpartum Health Care Expenses and Childbirth Incentives

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] The Hamyang County Health Center in Gyeongnam is implementing various childbirth promotion policies to improve the local birth rate and create a child-friendly environment.

On the 15th, Hamyang County Health Center announced that, as the natural population decline phenomenon continues nationwide with the death population surpassing the birth population, it is carrying out several childbirth promotion policies such as supporting health checkup costs for prospective newlyweds, early pregnancy examination support, and childbirth incentive payments.

First, as a new project this year, the health center provides health checkup cost support for prospective newlyweds to detect and treat disabilities and diseases that may affect pregnancy and childbirth early on, offering up to 200,000 KRW for women and 100,000 KRW for men.

Additionally, for pregnant women in the area, the health center offers free early pregnancy examinations, rubella tests, and fetal anomaly screenings at the obstetrics and gynecology department on the first floor. If fetal anomaly screening is done at hospitals or clinics, the out-of-pocket expense is supported up to 30,000 KRW.

Furthermore, the health center supports up to 50% of the personal burden cost, excluding government subsidies, for the ‘Postpartum Mother and Newborn Health Care Worker Support Project,’ which assists postpartum care by visiting childbirth families, thereby reducing the economic burden on families.

In addition, childbirth incentives are provided as follows: 1,000,000 KRW (lump sum) for the first child, 2,000,000 KRW (paid in two installments) for the second child, and 10,000,000 KRW (paid in five installments) for the third child. To aid postpartum recovery, 500,000 KRW is given in Hamyang Sarang gift certificates as ‘Postpartum Health Care Expenses,’ and health insurance enrollment and premium support are provided from the third child onward.

Moreover, pregnancy and childbirth congratulatory gifts (around 100,000 KRW) and breast pump rentals are offered, with multifaceted efforts to provide customized support from pregnancy preparation through postpartum.

A health center official stated, "Our county will continue to strive to discover various childbirth promotion policies suited to local conditions and do our best to overcome low birth rates through practical support for residents."