Nowon-gu Operates 'Mobile Health Bus' Visiting Elderly with Mobility Difficulties and Others

5.46 Billion KRW Spent on a 34-Seat Mid-Sized Van Equipped with Medical Devices

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating a ‘Visiting Mobile Health Bus’ for vulnerable groups such as elderly people who have difficulty accessing medical institutions due to mobility issues or economic hardships.

The health bus is a 34-seat mid-sized van equipped with a total of 17 diagnostic devices across 12 types.

These include 1 bone density scanner, 2 body composition analyzers, an ultrasound kidney scanner, 5 automatic blood pressure monitors (both desktop and portable), 1 spirometer, 2 pulse wave analyzers, 2 digital stadiometers, 2 blood analyzers, and 1 plantar pressure gait analyzer. The purchase of the vehicle and equipment cost approximately 546 million KRW.

The operating staff consists of 10 members: 2 doctors, 4 nurses, 1 nutritionist, 1 exercise specialist, 1 pharmacist, and 1 administrative personnel. The service began full-scale operation on July 23, targeting primarily elderly individuals with mobility difficulties and people with disabilities. Applications are accepted from 283 locations including 244 senior centers and 39 welfare facilities for the disabled within the district, with visits conducted sequentially to each site. This year, the goal is to screen 3,000 people across 100 locations.

The district initiated this project due to the continuous increase in the elderly population, the need to improve health accessibility for residents with geographic, physical, or economic difficulties, and to expand outreach community services.

Currently, the elderly population in Nowon-gu has steadily increased from 12.4% of the total population in 2016 to 15.7%, approximately 83,000 people as of May this year.

Continuous management of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases caused by rapid aging is necessary.

In fact, last year’s community health survey showed that awareness and treatment rates for hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome symptoms worsened compared to previous years, indicating an urgent need for preventive activities.

However, residents’ interest in health promotion remains low. According to a health awareness survey, while 92% of respondents know about the Nowon-gu Public Health Center, only 46% have actually used its services, highlighting the need to improve local health service environments.

The screening begins after completing a consent form and a basic questionnaire. The examination is divided into six areas and conducted over about 20 minutes, including basic and specialized tests. Basic tests include measurements of height, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood tests, and body composition analysis. Specialized tests consist of bone density, vascular and stress measurement via pulse wave analysis, and plantar pressure and gait analysis. Additionally, grip strength and lung function tests are performed.

Counseling lasts about 20 minutes. Once all test results are available, a nurse explains the findings, followed by a consultation with a doctor. Then, a nutritionist provides personalized dietary counseling, and an exercise specialist offers customized exercise guidance based on body composition.

For chronic disease patients such as those with hypertension and diabetes, in-depth counseling is provided to prevent medication misuse and ensure proper drug adherence. Traditional Korean medicine consultations are also available. Ultimately, high-risk individuals are linked to local medical institutions for treatment support.

To ensure efficient operation, competency enhancement training for dedicated staff will be conducted until the end of the year. Monthly sessions will systematically cover gait analysis methods, medication management and dietary therapy for chronic disease patients, health management for the disabled, and stroke management through traditional Korean medicine to enhance expertise. At year-end, a satisfaction survey on the mobile health bus will be conducted to address any shortcomings.

Alongside the mobile health bus, health programs conducted at visiting locations will also be operated. Medication guidance for chronic disease patients such as those with hypertension and diabetes will be provided 10 times annually.

A visiting exercise class for the elderly will be held 12 times a year. Priority will be given to areas with poor access to health institutions and low physical activity rates, with repeated visits focusing on exercise and health management education.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, “The mobile health bus is a service that can satisfy residents’ desires to receive integrated health, medical, and care services at their place of residence,” adding, “We will do our best to operate it to contribute to health equity and the extension of healthy life expectancy for local residents.”

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