Opening of 'Public Late-Night Children's Hospital' through Ordinance Enactment
25,000 Patients Benefit... Local Governments Benchmarking
'6 Consecutive Years' Awarded at Ministry of the Interior Competition
The ordinance for the "Nation's First 24/7 Public Nighttime Children's Hospital Operating 365 Days a Year," spearheaded by Gwangju City Council member Im Mi-ran, received the "Grand Prize" at the Local Council Best Practices Competition hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. [Photo by Gwangju City Council]
The Gwangju City Council (Chairperson Shin Su-jeong) announced on the 7th that it won the top prize, the "Grand Prize," at the "2024 Local Council Best Practice Competition" hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The Gwangju City Council achieved the remarkable feat of winning the award for six consecutive years, the longest streak nationwide, since the competition began in 2019.
The competition is held under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to summarize achievements following institutional improvements such as the independence of personnel authority in local councils, and to discover and disseminate excellent cases of council activities. It involves participation from city and provincial councils as well as city, county, and district councils nationwide.
The Gwangju City Council advanced to the finals with the case of "Operating a 24/7 Public Late-Night Children's Hospital," and Councilor Im Mi-ran, who was the principal proposer of the ordinance, personally presented the case and received the prestigious "Grand Prize."
This ordinance was the first of its kind nationwide, proposed to improve the poor medical environment in local areas where there are no children's hospitals open at night or on holidays, making it difficult to receive treatment. It led to the opening of the Public Late-Night Children's Hospital. It was highly evaluated for designing and implementing a new form of pediatric medical service needed in the region.
Based on this ordinance, Gwangju City has been operating the Public Late-Night Children's Hospital since September last year, and it is estimated that over 25,000 children have benefited from medical treatment over the past year until last month. The Gwangju Public Late-Night Children's Hospital has become a benchmarking target for many local governments nationwide.
The Gwangju City Council and Gwangju City plan to discuss with the Ministry of Health and Welfare ways to develop this system into a national-level child welfare program and expand it nationwide.
Shin Su-jeong, Chairperson of the Gwangju City Council, said, "I am honored that the 'Public Late-Night Children's Hospital Support Ordinance,' which raises the actual welfare level of children, has received the highest evaluation not only as a benchmark for local governments but also at the national competition." She added, "The City Council will continue to actively carry out council activities that are highly felt on the ground, such as resolving citizens' difficulties and improving quality of life."
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