Gwangju Namgu and Gwangju Christian Hospital Join Forces for Systematic Dementia Patient Management

Exterior view of Gwangju Namgu District Office.

The Gwangju Namgu Dementia Relief Center announced on April 29 that it has signed an agreement with Gwangju Christian Hospital to facilitate the early detection and systematic management of dementia patients.

Through this agreement, residents will no longer need to visit hospitals in other regions to receive support for dementia examination fees. Currently, all local governments nationwide, including Namgu, only provide support for dementia examination fees if the diagnosis is made at a hospital that has an agreement with the dementia relief center operated by the respective local government.

In particular, residents who receive a dementia diagnosis at an individual hospital without going through the dementia relief center cannot receive support for examination fees. In addition, specialized equipment such as MRI and CT scans is required for detailed examinations, but small hospitals often lack such equipment, causing the inconvenience of having to undergo additional tests at higher-level hospitals. The higher the level of the hospital, the greater the examination fee, resulting in increased costs for patients.

An official from the district office stated, "With this agreement, accessibility and convenience for residents seeking dementia examinations within the district are expected to improve significantly," and added, "As the number of suspected dementia patients continues to rise, we will do our utmost to conduct early diagnoses and take proactive measures to prevent the condition from worsening."