Seoul to Increase Hospice Beds to 224 by 2027

29 Additional Hospice Beds Secured at Northern Hospital

Seoul Metropolitan Government is expanding hospice wards in preparation for a super-aged society. The city plans to gradually increase the number of hospice beds in five municipal hospitals to a total of 224 by 2027.

Starting July 3, the city announced that the number of hospice beds at Seoul Metropolitan Northern Hospital will be increased from the existing 25 beds to 54 beds. The hospital has completely remodeled one of its general wards to add 29 dedicated hospice beds.

On the 1st, the Seoul Metropolitan Northern Hospital held an opening ceremony for the expansion of its hospice palliative care ward. Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Government

According to the city, Seoul currently needs 760 hospice beds, but there are only 289 beds available, which is 38% of the required amount. The city has been preparing to expand hospice capacity in advance, anticipating a future increase in demand.

Previously, Northern Hospital operated 25 hospice beds, including single and four-person rooms and end-of-life care rooms. With this expansion, the hospital has added various room types such as two-person and three-person rooms, and more than doubled its hospice bed capacity.

Beginning with Northern Hospital, the city plans to add 79 more hospice beds across all municipal hospitals, including Seobuk Hospital, to operate a total of 224 hospice beds by 2027. In addition to simply increasing the number of beds, the city will also provide an integrated palliative care system, which includes building professional teams, offering psychological and emotional support, and providing family caregiving education.

In this context, Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon, who is currently on a business trip in Vienna, Austria, visited 'Caritas St. Magdalena' on the morning of July 2 (local time). This institution supports integrated elderly care, including hospice, home care, inpatient care, and day care services.

Lee Dongryul, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Citizens' Health Bureau, stated, "The expansion of hospice beds at Northern Hospital is a proactive response by public healthcare to the social question of 'how we spend the end of life.' We will continue to create a stable public hospice environment so that seniors can receive sufficient hospice and palliative care services and prepare for a dignified end of life."