Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, Mayor Park Chan-dae [박찬대]) is moving forward in earnest with an integrated outreach medical and care support project to ensure that residents of island areas such as Ganghwa (강화군) and Ongjin (옹진군) can receive the medical treatment and care they need. Incheon City and the Incheon Social Service Agency (인천사회서비스원) were selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s (보건복지부) ‘Underserved Social Service Areas Support Program’ and have been providing linked services—including home visit care, daily living support, hospital escort, and AI (artificial intelligence) health safety support—from June through December of this year, with a total project budget of 100 million won, combining 70 million won in national funds and 30 million won in city funds.
 [코리안투데이] A Korean medicine doctor visits residents of Ganghwa (강화군) and Ongjin (옹진군) to provide traditional Korean medical treatment. © 김현수 기자 |
Outreach Medical Support: Monthly Regular Home Visit Care
The city operates ‘outreach medical support’ at community hub locations to provide home visit care and health consultations.
For residents who require ongoing management, a multidisciplinary team of professionals—including doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and social workers—visits homes once a month to check residents’ health status and connect them with necessary care services.
From Daily Living Care and Hospital Escort to AI Health Safety Support
Residents who have difficulty maintaining daily life receive daily living support such as meals, hygiene, and housework, as well as special meal support and hospital escort services. Hospital escort assistance covers everything from transportation for residents with mobility difficulties to hospital registration and payment.
Through AI health safety support, the program provides round-the-clock safety care, including non-face-to-face automatic emergency calls (SOS), emergency dispatch when a resident’s well-being cannot be confirmed for an extended period, cardiovascular health management, and medication reminders, while also connecting residents, when needed, to one-on-one health consultations with experts across 17 fields.
In community hub spaces in the island areas, cultural support such as outreach performances is also offered to ease the emotional isolation of participating residents, with well-being checks used to connect residents to the care services they need.
Underserved Area Support Project Running Alongside Since 2024, Narrowing Care Gaps
Separately from this selected program, the city has been running the ‘Underserved Area Support Project’ since September 2024, providing additional allowances, travel expenses, and hub operating costs to ease the burden of long-distance travel and island visits for care workers.
Currently, 121 care workers at nine hub-providing institutions across Ganghwa (강화군) and Ongjin (옹진군) offer daily living care, emergency care, housework and nursing visit support, and psychological support; as of the end of May this year, a total of 386 service sessions had been provided to 17 residents.
Yoo Jun-ho (유준호), Director of the city’s Loneliness and Care Bureau, said, ‘Medical care and support should not arrive late simply because someone lives on an island,’ adding, ‘We will link outreach medical services with daily living care, hospital escort, and AI health safety support to help residents of Ganghwa and Ongjin continue their healthy, stable daily lives where they live.’
[ Reporter Kim Hyun-soo ] incheoneast@thekoreantoday.com
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