[Seoul District News] Geumcheon-gu Provides Health Monitoring and Geumcheon-style Health Kits for Under-50 Chronic Patients and Disabled Without Cohabitants... One-Stop COVID-19 Home Treatment, Emergency Calls, Vaccination Inquiries... Dongjak-gu Mobilizes All Staff to Strengthen Home Treatment Management... Gangseo-gu Departments Unite for Omicron Epidemiological Response... Gwangjin-gu Offers Free Infant Car Seat and Baekilsang Rental Service... Seongbuk-gu Donates 300 Garments from Fashion Sewing Companies... Seodaemun-gu Supports Residents with Loans to Overcome COVID-19 Damage
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) announced that it will implement the ‘Geumcheon-style Health Management’ program targeting marginalized groups in the revamped home treatment management system amid the surge in COVID-19 patients.
According to the current government home treatment guidelines, intensive care groups such as those aged 60 and over and high-risk patients aged 50 and over with underlying conditions receive twice-daily phone monitoring from designated medical institutions and are provided with home treatment supplies. However, general management groups under 60 must manage themselves, including purchasing supplies and obtaining prescriptions from medical institutions, which poses difficulties.
To address the blind spots in home treatment, Geumcheon-gu provides 1 to 2 daily phone medical consultations and distributes health management kits consisting of comprehensive cold medicine, antipyretics, thermometers, and disinfectants to patients under 50 with underlying conditions who live alone and to disabled individuals who have difficulty managing their own health. Basic livelihood security recipients are also included among the recipients of the health management kits.
Additionally, in preparation for the surge in home treatment patients, the district has increased the number of medical consultation nurses to maintain a 24-hour emergency response system.
Yoo Sung-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “Although the government’s home treatment management standards have been relaxed, we have implemented ‘Geumcheon-style home treatment management’ to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are thoroughly preparing for crisis situations by deploying additional dedicated personnel and establishing an emergency transport system for urgent cases.”
Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) announced on the 24th that it will strengthen home treatment management for the general management group excluded from regular monitoring by providing text message services and prior phone guidance amid the surge in COVID-19 cases due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
As of 6 p.m. on February 23, among 17,652 home treatment patients in Dongjak-gu, 1,723 (9.8%) belong to the intensive care group, and 15,929 (90.2%) belong to the general management group. The general management group must manage their health independently at home and consult and receive prescriptions from medical institutions if treatment is needed due to symptoms such as fever.
Accordingly, the district plans to provide patients with prior guidance on appropriate treatment methods to minimize management negligence and ensure safe home treatment.
All district office staff are mobilized to match 1:1 with general management group patients to provide information on ▲non-face-to-face medical institution contacts ▲holiday operating medical institutions ▲local pharmacy contacts and usage methods ▲designated pharmacies for Paxlovid ▲preparation of over-the-counter medicines and quarantine compliance during isolation.
Lee Chang-woo, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, “As the number of home treatment patients peaks due to the spread of Omicron and until we reach the endemic stage, we will do our best to prevent blind spots in home treatment. We will prioritize the safety of 400,000 residents and focus all efforts on preventing the spread within the region.”
Meanwhile, in response to the surge in confirmed cases, the district operates ▲health center screening clinics (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and ▲temporary screening clinics at Sadang and Dongjak-gu offices (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) on holidays such as March 1 and March 9 to provide PCR and rapid antigen tests. The Dongjak Parking Park (Exit 5 of Dongjak Station) COVID-19 testing site operates year-round from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Kangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) operates the Care SOS Service, which provides customized support for various daily services ranging from care to laundry services according to residents’ needs.
The Care SOS Center offers five main fee-based care services: ▲temporary home care ▲short-term facility care ▲accompaniment support ▲residential convenience ▲meal support, as well as non-fee-based linked care services such as ▲welfare checks ▲health support ▲care systems ▲case management ▲emergency support, providing tailored services based on recipients’ needs.
Among these, the laundry service (residential convenience) is especially popular. It is a one-stop service covering washing, drying, collection, and delivery of large laundry items such as bedding and curtains that are difficult to wash at home, and demand is rapidly increasing.
Recently, considering the suspension of supply of goods for home treatment patients since the 17th, the district decided to provide meal support services to home treatment patients in urgent need of care, such as single-person households.
Applications can be made by phone at the local community service center. Basic livelihood security recipients, lower-income bracket, and those with income below 85% of the median income are eligible for free support. Even residents not eligible for free support can use the service by paying a self-pay fee.
Within 2 to 3 days after application, eligibility (below 85% of median income) is confirmed, and up to 30 meals are provided, with lunchboxes delivered to the door at designated times.
Lee Jung-hoon, Mayor of Kangdong-gu, said, “The Care SOS Center plays a pivotal role in alleviating the difficulties of home treatment patients amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and surge in cases. We will continue to do our best to fill welfare gaps by establishing a Kangdong-style care system.”
Meanwhile, the Care SOS project, launched in August 2020 to address care blind spots, has gained popularity through word of mouth, providing over 4,300 services last year alone.
Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Sung-soo) announced that it will operate an automated response system (ARS) integrating consultation contact numbers, which were previously dispersed by COVID-19 prevention tasks, under a single representative number starting February 24.
With the recent surge in confirmed and home treatment patients due to the spread of Omicron, COVID-19-related inquiries have increased sharply, but consultation phone numbers were scattered by prevention systems, making smooth consultation difficult.
Accordingly, the district introduced an integrated representative number to provide 24/7 year-round response.
After connecting to the ARS, users can resolve inquiries in five areas: ▲general COVID-19 ▲home treatment ▲emergency calls and kit delivery ▲overseas entrants ▲vaccination and vaccines.
Meanwhile, the district developed a one-stop service application (Bye Corona) covering testing, result inquiry, and infection management, and has taken preemptive COVID-19 measures considering user convenience, such as installing windbreaks at screening clinics in preparation for cold weather.
Mayor Park Sung-soo emphasized, “Although the COVID-19 response system has become complex depending on the situation, we will do our best to provide smooth administrative services so that users do not feel inconvenienced.”
Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) has launched an all-out response, including deploying all staff for epidemiological investigations, as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to reach record highs.
On the 23rd, the district held an emergency COVID-19 countermeasure meeting and announced the establishment of the ‘COVID-19 Epidemiological Investigation Emergency Countermeasure Plan’ in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.
The plan aims to build a rapid and efficient epidemiological investigation system to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe illness among confirmed patients.
Due to the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the district’s daily maximum number of confirmed cases has exceeded 2,000, and as of the 23rd, there are about 3,000 home treatment patients in the area.
With the daily increase in home treatment patients, the existing health center staff alone face difficulties in conducting epidemiological investigations and responses. In particular, delays in epidemiological investigations have caused delays in management measures for emergency and intensive care patients, making urgent countermeasures necessary.
Accordingly, the district has prepared the ‘COVID-19 Epidemiological Investigation Emergency Countermeasure Plan’ to ensure seamless management of home treatment patients through rapid epidemiological investigations.
The plan establishes an efficient epidemiological investigation system that categorizes patients into intensive care groups aged 60 and over and general management groups under 60 according to the scale of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Accordingly, when the number of new confirmed cases exceeds 1,000, epidemiological investigations for the intensive care group aged 60 and over will be conducted by the health center, while all district office departments will be responsible for investigations of the general management group under 60.
Departments other than the health center will carefully review the self-reported basic epidemiological investigation details entered by confirmed patients in the general management group and conduct additional investigations as needed.
They will also conduct basic epidemiological investigations by phone for confirmed patients who have not registered self-reported basic epidemiological investigations and register the information in the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency system.
This approach is expected to allow the health center’s medical capacity to focus on severe and high-risk groups, minimizing the risk of severe illness among confirmed patients, while expanding epidemiological investigation personnel for the general management group to eliminate blind spots in home treatment.
The district plans to minimize resident damage caused by COVID-19 by promoting rapid and efficient epidemiological investigations based on the newly established ‘COVID-19 Epidemiological Investigation Emergency Countermeasure Plan.’
Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, “As the spread of COVID-19 is rapidly increasing in a very serious situation, we must concentrate all available administrative power to respond thoroughly. We will supplement the confirmed patient management system in line with prevention and home treatment reforms to minimize resident confusion and do our best to block infection spread within the region.”
The district actively provides information on home treatment procedures, medical institutions offering non-face-to-face treatment, and self-test kit usage through the district website, SNS, and newsletters to minimize residents’ anxiety amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Sun-gap) operates a car seat, 100-day celebration table, and first birthday table rental project targeting families with infants and toddlers, promoting various practical childcare policies.
Infant childcare products have short usage periods but high purchase costs, causing economic burdens. Accordingly, the district supports families by providing free rentals of car seats, 100-day celebration tables, and first birthday tables tailored to the developmental stages of infants and toddlers.
Since 2019, the district has operated a safety car seat rental project for families with children under six years old. About 100 car seats are available, including general types, ISOFIX (International Standard for Child Restraint System) types, and basket-type car seats, which can be used for up to 12 months.
The rental is free, and a deposit of 30,000 KRW is refunded upon return. When there are many applicants, priority is given to ▲disabled persons ▲basic livelihood security recipients ▲single-parent families ▲multicultural families ▲families with three or more children.
Especially, from this year, the application criteria for basket-type car seats, mainly used for newborns, have been expanded to allow reservations from one month before the expected delivery date.
Additionally, as many families have simplified preparations for children’s first birthday tables due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the district continues to promote the rental project for 100-day and first birthday tables.
Families residing in Gwangjin-gu with infants celebrating their 100th day or first birthday can apply by reservation to rent the 100-day or first birthday table items free of charge for five days. The tables include various items such as banners, folding screens, tablecloths, white basins, flower ball decorations, frames, first birthday grab items, model cupcakes, and name tags.
Residents wishing to rent safety car seats, 100-day tables, or first birthday tables can apply in person and pick up and return items at the ‘Gwangjin Toy Library’ located on the 2nd floor of the Guui 1-dong Community Service Center, or apply online via the Gwangjin Childcare Support Center website.
Moreover, if the renter is a pregnant woman registered in the district or a family with an infant under 24 months, it is recommended to use the ‘Gwangjin Mom Taxi’ service for free transportation between home and the toy library.
For more details, contact the Gwangjin-gu Family Welfare Division or the Gwangjin Toy Library.
Mayor Kim Sun-gap of Gwangjin-gu said, “Car seat and 100-day/first birthday table rentals are highly satisfactory services for families with infants and toddlers, and we hope many people use them. We will continue to carefully consider the needs of parents and provide customized support measures.”
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) fashion sewing companies participated in the ‘Warm Winter Campaign’ by donating 300 pieces of clothing (worth about 2.4 million KRW) for marginalized groups to the district on the 23rd.
The Seoul Fashion Textile Sewing Association, which organized the donation ceremony, is an organization that leads problem-solving for companies in the sewing industry concentrated in the area and promotes various projects to improve the rights and interests of the sewing industry.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 crisis, the association cooperated with nine autonomous districts in Seoul to produce ‘National Safety Masks’ to address mask supply issues. Seongbuk-gu sewing company owners also supported 10,000 ‘Cheer Up Turkey Masks’ to Turkey, the brotherly country, enhancing national prestige. Since last year, they have voluntarily conducted quarantine activities in the region, serving as role models for residents, and this winter, they practiced sharing through clothing donations.
The clothing donated by the fashion sewing company owners will be distributed to welfare facilities within Seongbuk-gu.
Oh Byung-yeol, President of the Seoul Fashion Textile Sewing Association, said, “We are honored to share hope with neighbors facing greater difficulties than us during COVID-19 and help them overcome the crisis,” explaining the purpose of the donation.
At the donation ceremony, Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, expressed gratitude, saying, “Despite the many difficulties faced by sewing companies due to COVID-19, we deeply appreciate their quiet and warm acts of kindness for the community. The donated goods will be used carefully to help neighbors in need.”
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) will promote the ‘Resident Income Support and Living Stability Fund’ loan project for the first half of 2022 to assist residents facing economic difficulties due to COVID-19 and other reasons.
The target applicants are individual business owners and prospective entrepreneurs experiencing financial difficulties, as well as residents struggling to cover tuition or disaster recovery costs. Applicants must have been continuously registered residents of Seodaemun-gu for at least one year as of the application date.
The loan limit is 30 million KRW for business funds and 10 million KRW for other startup funds, tuition, and disaster recovery costs, with an annual interest rate of 1.5%, a 2-year grace period, and 2-year equal repayment terms.
For tuition loans, applicants can apply for amounts up to the tuition paid for themselves, spouses, or direct lineal relatives currently enrolled in high school or university. Graduate school tuition is excluded.
Applicants can download the application form from the district website’s announcements and submit it in person at the 5th floor Autonomous Administration Division of Seodaemun-gu Office between March 2 and 15.
Individual business owners must submit a business plan and business registration certificate; prospective entrepreneurs must submit a business plan and lease contract or other supporting documents; tuition applicants must submit enrollment certificates and tuition payment notices; disaster recovery applicants must submit relevant proof documents.
After eligibility screening by the district office, loan repayment ability assessment by the bank, and review by the Seodaemun-gu Fund Loan Selection Committee, recipients will be selected, and loans are expected to be disbursed in April.
Loans cannot be used for debt forgiveness, monthly rent deposits, or living expenses. For more details, contact the Autonomous Administration Division of Seodaemun-gu Office.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
