Seodaemun-gu, Hana Medical Foundation and social welfare council partner to manage health of vulnerable elderly residents; residents of Narasarangchae public housing, veterans' organization members and free-meal program users to receive priority support
Seodaemun-gu has launched a health service initiative for elderly residents in difficult circumstances, including independence patriots, bringing medical care directly to seniors who have put off checkups due to financial burdens or difficulty traveling to hospitals.
The district is connecting private medical institutions with local welfare organizations to identify medically underserved elderly residents and provide services ranging from health screenings to consultations and chronic disease prevention education.
Seodaemun-gu announced Friday that it signed an MOU on "support for health management of vulnerable elderly residents in the community" with Hana Medical Foundation and the Seodaemun-gu Social Welfare Council, and will operate a mobile health management support project using a traveling examination bus.
The initiative combines the specialized health management services of a medical institution with the on-the-ground network of a local welfare organization — identifying seniors who have difficulty visiting hospitals within the community and then providing screenings, consultations and health education.
Priority recipients include residents of Narasarangchae — public rental housing for independence and democracy patriots and their families — members of nine veterans' organizations, and low-income, single-person and mobility-impaired elderly users of Haengbokan Bapsang, Seodaemun-gu's free meal service.
The program is particularly significant in that it extends welfare support into the medical sphere by adding health management services for vulnerable seniors already connected through existing residential, veterans' and meal support programs. The district plans to gradually expand the pool of eligible recipients as the program develops.
Hana Medical Foundation will visit eligible seniors directly to conduct tailored screenings based on each individual's health condition, provide one-on-one health consultations, and offer education on chronic disease prevention and management. The foundation will use screening results to help seniors understand their own health status and manage their wellbeing in daily life.
The Seodaemun-gu Social Welfare Council will handle field operations, using its local welfare network to identify seniors in need of support and guide them through the program.
Seodaemun-gu will provide administrative support and connect seniors requiring medical services through cooperation with community welfare centers and other related facilities in the district.
The MOU signing ceremony was held at Seodaemun-gu Office on Wednesday, with the three organizations establishing a cooperative framework dividing responsibilities from identifying eligible recipients to conducting health screenings and consultations. The district will use the agreement as a foundation to link existing welfare services with private medical resources and broaden the scope of community health care.
"There should not be a single senior who gives up on looking after their health because of difficulty getting around or financial burdens," Seodaemun-gu District Mayor Park Un-gi said. "Rather than waiting for those who need help to come to us, we will go to them first, and build a Seodaemun where medicine and welfare are connected in everyday life."
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