Jeonnam Province Announces Call for Participation from Municipalities in Establishing Regional Pediatric Rehabilitation Medical Centers

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 21st that it will open applications for participating cities and counties in the government national project to establish regional public pediatric rehabilitation medical centers until the 30th of this month.

The public pediatric rehabilitation medical center is being promoted nationwide by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a national agenda to provide public rehabilitation medical services for children with disabilities, which are difficult to offer in the private sector, and to provide continuous pediatric rehabilitation treatment based on the residential area.

Last year, two centers were selected in Gangwon and Chungbuk. This year, considering unmet medical demands and geographical conditions comprehensively, one center will be selected in each of four cities and provinces where the establishment of a center is most urgently needed.

Accordingly, the province plans to receive applications for participation in the establishment of the ‘Public Pediatric Rehabilitation Medical Center’ until the end of this month. If two or more cities or counties apply, a selection committee will evaluate and select the city or county with the highest score to participate in the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s public contest.

So far, policies that directly impact people with disabilities, such as promoting the establishment of regional rehabilitation hospitals to improve the quality of life for disabled people in the community who need intensive rehabilitation treatment and medical services, have been pursued.

They decided to participate in this public contest project to provide appropriate treatment according to the life cycle of pediatric rehabilitation patients and to offer continuous medical services in their local area in line with their growth and development.

The total project cost for the ‘Jeonnam Public Pediatric Rehabilitation Medical Center’ is 7.2 billion KRW. It is planned to be built with more than 20 beds and equipped with departments such as rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy room, occupational therapy room, speech therapy room, and thermoelectric therapy room.

Son Seonmi, Director of the Disabled Welfare Division of Jeonnam Province, said, “As of last year, among approximately 290,000 children nationwide who need rehabilitation treatment, only about 19,000 children, or 6.7%, receive rehabilitation treatment. Therefore, we will strive to protect the rights to life and health of children by establishing a public pediatric rehabilitation medical center, which is the dream of children with disabilities in the region.”

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