Gyeongnam Province Strengthens Infectious Disease Disaster Response System... Establishes Life Quarantine Promotion Team and Infectious Disease Research Department

Expansion of 2 Departments with 72 Divisions in 1 Office, 2 Headquarters, and 11 Bureaus

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Woo-kwon] Gyeongsangnam-do has undertaken an organizational restructuring, including the establishment of the nation's first 'Living Quarantine Promotion Team' since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The 'Living Quarantine Promotion Team' is an expanded and reorganized function of the existing infectious disease management division within the Health Administration Department. It will comprehensively review institutional improvements in response to the social transformation predicted after COVID-19, such as the spread of 'non-face-to-face, unmanned, automated, and delivery culture,' alongside short-term and everyday living quarantine practices.

At the same time, the Health Research Department of the Health and Environment Research Institute will be divided into the newly established 'Infectious Disease Research Department' and the renamed 'Food and Drug Research Department.'

While the existing Health Research Department focused on diagnostic kit testing, the establishment of the 'Infectious Disease Research Department' and reinforcement of research personnel are expected to enhance infectious disease prevention capabilities through research on new infectious diseases and real-time monitoring.

The social disaster and natural disaster tasks, previously handled by the Disaster Response Division, will be separated and expanded into the 'Social Disaster Division' and 'Natural Disaster Division.'

With the reorganization into the 'Social Disaster Division,' the control tower function will be strengthened to quickly respond to 45 complex, diverse, and prolonged types of social disasters, including infectious diseases, fine dust, marine pollution, and nuclear power plants. Additionally, it will absorb and integrate the disaster safety inspection functions of the existing Livelihood Safety Inspection Division to perform preventive functions together.

A new 'Policy Promotion Officer' will be established within the Communication Planning Office to design and integrate policy promotion content from the policy formulation stage, aiming to further enhance residents' perception of policy support projects.

Furthermore, to improve the planning capability for developing easy and intuitive content that reflects residents' perspectives and trends, and to strengthen policy notification functions using various online media such as websites and SNS, an 'Online Communication Officer' will be publicly recruited from external private experts.

In addition, a 'Design Support Officer' will be newly established within the Startup Innovation Division. This organizational restructuring plan reflects the necessity that all industries must incorporate design to maintain competitiveness.

A 'Spatial Information Operation Officer' will be newly established within the Land Information Division to accelerate the creation of new growth engines in Gyeongnam based on spatial information, including the construction of a smart spatial information platform.

Meanwhile, as the educational tasks of the Women's Capability Development Center are transferred to the Women's Family Foundation and city/county centers, the number of divisions will be reduced from four to two, and the adjusted personnel will be reassigned to urgent tasks such as the Emergency Disaster Income Promotion Team.

Following the nationalization of firefighting personnel in April this year, firefighting capabilities will be strengthened by establishing new fire stations and supplementing on-site personnel at fire stations.

Reflecting the standard organization of the Fire Agency, a Planning and Audit Division will be newly established within the Fire Headquarters, strengthening the implementation of fire policies based on data analysis and the provision of safety services closely connected to residents' lives.

A 'Prevention Safety Division' will be newly established in the Uiryeong, Namhae, Sancheong, and Hamyang Fire Stations, which currently operate with two divisions, so that all 18 fire stations will operate with three divisions. Additionally, 119 Safety Centers will be newly established in Yulha in western Gimhae and Sadeung in Geoje, expected to improve initial response capabilities to disasters and accidents.

According to the Gyeongnam-do organizational restructuring plan, the main office will expand from the existing 1 office, 2 headquarters, 11 bureaus, and 70 divisions to 1 office, 2 headquarters, 11 bureaus, and 72 divisions, increasing the total staff from 6,358 to 6,384.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.