Concern for Health of Neighbor Living Alone Leads to Report to Community Center... Crisis Averted by Emergency Surgery
Medical Expense Support and Ongoing Assistance Through Case Management Alongside National Basic Livelihood Security Application
Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (Mayor Ilpyeong Lee) announced on the 21st that it has paid a reward to the first recipient since the implementation of the 'Crisis Household Reporter Reward System.'
Dongdaemun-gu enacted the 「Ordinance on the Discovery and Support of Crisis Households in Dongdaemun-gu」 in October last year to encourage voluntary participation of the local community in discovering crisis households, and has been implementing the 'Crisis Household Reporter Reward System' since January this year. A reward of 50,000 KRW per report (up to 300,000 KRW annually) is given to those who discover and report households in need of support due to welfare crises.
The first reward recipient is Mr. B (70), a resident of Imun 2-dong, who reported Mr. A (50), who was in a difficult situation, to the local community service center.
In March, Mr. B noticed that the health condition of his neighbor Mr. A, who lives alone, was different from usual and informed the community service center and the neighborhood leader. Subsequently, the social welfare officer of Imun 2-dong immediately conducted a home visit to assess the situation.
The social welfare officer judged the situation to be urgent, persuaded Mr. A, and transported him to the hospital, where Mr. A was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage and underwent emergency surgery.
The district office provided emergency support and applied for the National Basic Livelihood Security to help Mr. A, who was struggling with daily wage work, receive medical expense support. Additionally, services such as wallpaper and flooring replacement were provided to improve the living environment for Mr. A, who is recovering after surgery.
An official from the district office stated, “We plan to support the recipient to return to daily life through continuous case management,” and urged, “If you discover neighbors in difficulty, please be sure to report through the community service center or the KakaoTalk channel ‘Bokji Nuri Talk.’”
Ilpyeong Lee, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “This incident once again made me realize that a small interest from neighbors can be a great help to crisis households,” and added, “We will strive to make Dongdaemun-gu a safe and happy place for all, without any marginalized neighbors.”
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