Welfare Ministry Encourages Public Health Centers on the Frontline of COVID-19 Response

Kim Kang-rip, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare (right in the photo), is speaking at the nationwide public health center directors' video conference held on the afternoon of the 29th at the Government Sejong Complex in Sejong City to discuss additional budget guidance related to public health centers and community COVID-19 response.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Kim Kang-rip, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, held a video meeting on the 29th with the chairpersons leading public health centers nationwide to discuss the operation of screening clinics and management plans for local confirmed cases and contacts.

Public health centers are recognized as being on the front lines in responding to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). All 256 public health centers across the country operate screening clinics to identify COVID-19 patients, and since January until the 24th, they have collected over 570,000 specimens.

Park Geon-hee, Director of Sangnok Public Health Center in Ansan City, emphasized the importance of the public sector's role during infectious disease crises and pointed out the need for organizational restructuring, such as establishing a health policy team within public health centers. Kwon Geun-yong, Director of Sejong City Public Health Center, suggested improvements in epidemiological investigations and quarantine management, while Lee Young-hee, Director of Buk-gu Public Health Center in Daegu, shared experiences in responding to large-scale outbreaks. Vice Minister Kim stated, "We will do our best to continuously identify the needs for community infectious disease response and provide timely support."

Meanwhile, Vice Minister Kim explained the supplementary budget related to public health centers and informed about health management projects for high-risk groups such as the elderly and chronic disease patients. Plans are underway to promote health management projects utilizing mobile applications and information and communication technology, and since the bill is currently under review in the National Assembly, frontline public health centers were requested to actively participate in the projects.

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