The "Public Postpartum Care Centers" operated by Gyeonggi Province at two locations in the province are so popular that people take queue numbers and wait for their turn. In response, Gyeonggi Province has decided to open additional postpartum care centers in Anseong and Pyeongtaek by 2027.
According to Gyeonggi Province on July 21, the Yeoju Public Postpartum Care Center, which opened in May 2019, and the Pocheon Public Postpartum Care Center, which opened in May 2023, have enjoyed such strong support from residents that there have been no vacancies throughout the year.
As of the end of June, the cumulative number of families who have used these two centers stands at 2,603. Last year, 761 families used the centers, and as of the end of June this year, 375 families have used them.
Given that the Yeoju center has 13 rooms and the Pocheon center has 20 rooms, with a total of 31 rooms available for use after excluding 2 reserved rooms, and considering that each mother typically stays for about two weeks, the Gyeonggi-do Public Postpartum Care Centers have effectively operated at full capacity from last year through the first half of this year. Due to the surge in demand, the Pocheon center changed its reservation system from first-come, first-served online reservations to an online lottery system.
The main reason for the popularity of the Gyeonggi-do Public Postpartum Care Centers is that their fees are less than half the cost of private centers. For a two-week stay, the national average fee at private postpartum care centers is 3.46 million won, while the Gyeonggi-do public centers charge only 1.68 million won.
Additionally, vulnerable groups such as recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security Program, people with disabilities, and multicultural families receive an additional 50% discount on the usage fee.
In particular, to foster a healthy nurturing environment through rooming-in and breastfeeding, the centers provide pre-birth breastfeeding and mother-infant attachment education. Mothers who actively participate in rooming-in and breastfeeding receive certificates and gifts.
Furthermore, differentiated programs such as postpartum body correction, as well as high-quality facilities like sterilizers for newborn room slippers to prevent infectious diseases, have increased user satisfaction compared to other centers.
In fact, a satisfaction survey conducted last year among users showed scores of 94 points for Yeoju and 97 points for Pocheon.
Various user reviews posted on public postpartum care center websites include: "All the staff, including the teachers who helped prepare meals in the newborn room, the massage therapists, and the director, were so kind, which was wonderful"; "I am grateful to the newborn teachers who cared for the babies day and night and to the director who helped me with breastfeeding"; "There was nothing lacking in newborn care, meals, programs, mother care, room management, or massages"; and "The various programs were fun, and I was satisfied with the food and cleaning." There were many such positive comments.
With the increasing demand for public postpartum care centers, Gyeonggi Province plans to open two additional centers in Anseong and Pyeongtaek by 2027.
Yoo Youngcheol, Director of Health and Wellness at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Through support for public postpartum care centers, we will provide high-quality postpartum care services to mothers and newborns and make Gyeonggi Province a city with a birth-friendly environment."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
