"Don't Worry About Going to the Hospital Alone"
Home Visit to Hospital, Pharmacy, and Return Support
Basic Fee: 5,000 Won for First 3 Hours
Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province announced on December 22 that it has increased the number of professionals for its "One-Person Household Hospital Safe Companion Service" from four to five.
Seongnam City, One-Person Household Hospital Safe Companion Service Notice. Provided by Seongnam City
This service targets not only one-person households but also de facto one-person households, including elderly households, grandparent-grandchild households, and single-parent families who have difficulty visiting hospitals alone.
Citizens who wish to use the service can call the Seongnam City One-Person Household Healing Space or apply online through "Gyeonggi Civil Service 24."
Once an application is received, professionals such as social workers, caregivers, and nursing assistants (companions) visit the applicant's home and accompany them to the hospital.
At the hospital, they assist with registration, payment, and medical consultations, and provide support throughout the entire process, including accompanying the user to the pharmacy and returning home.
The service is available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the companion service covers hospitals in Seongnam City as well as nearby areas in Seoul, Suwon, and Yongin.
The fee is 5,000 won for the first three hours, with an additional 2,500 won charged for every extra 30 minutes.
However, users are responsible for transportation costs such as bus or taxi fares required for traveling to and from the hospital.
Seongnam City stated that the number of cases for the One-Person Household Hospital Safe Companion Service has increased each year, with 228 cases in 2023, the first year of implementation, 360 cases last year, and 670 cases this year, leading to the hiring of additional professionals.
The project budget has also been expanded.
As of this year, Seongnam City allocated 135 million won for the project and decided to invest an additional 31 million won from its own budget, bringing the total to 166 million won for next year's operation.
A Seongnam City official said, "The Hospital Safe Companion Service is a public service closely tied to daily life, implemented to support citizens who have difficulty visiting hospitals alone," adding, "We will continue to secure administrative and financial resources, such as personnel and budgets, in line with demand for the service."
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