Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu signed a cooperative agreement Friday with Kyung Hee University Hospital and the Dongdaemun-gu Medical Association to eliminate gaps in after-hours and holiday pediatric care and improve residents' access to medical services. District Mayor Choi Dong-min, Kyung Hee University Hospital Director Kim Jong-woo and Dongdaemun-gu Medical Association Chairman Lim Min-sik signed the MOU, titled "Agreement on Local Cooperation for After-Hours and Holiday Pediatric and Adolescent Care."
The agreement addresses residents' longstanding difficulty finding pediatric care late at night or on holidays, and aims to strengthen medical access for the local community.
Under the MOU, the three institutions will jointly develop response plans when after-hours or holiday care gaps arise and work closely together to improve the pediatric healthcare delivery system. Each party has also agreed on a specific division of responsibilities based on its expertise.
Dongdaemun-gu will handle public outreach and information on after-hours and holiday care facilities and oversee a consultative body to facilitate communication among the parties. Kyung Hee University Hospital will take responsibility for running the after-hours and holiday pediatric care system in compliance with relevant laws and guidelines.
The Dongdaemun-gu Medical Association will actively encourage more local clinics and hospitals to participate in after-hours care and serve as a channel for gathering and conveying the medical community's on-the-ground concerns.
"This MOU will serve as a solid foundation so that parents can stay calm and get their children the care they need, even in the middle of the night or on a holiday," District Mayor Choi said. "We will continue to expand cooperation with the district's excellent medical institutions and do our utmost to build a tight-knit medical safety net that protects the health of our residents."
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