Gwangyang-si, Expansion of Large-Scale Public Health Medical Infrastructure

Investment of 35.7 Billion Won by 2023 to Expand Public Health Care Facilities

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] On the 17th, Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced that it is making progress in expanding public health care facilities to strengthen its response capabilities against COVID-19 infectious diseases and to promote citizens' health.

The Gwangyang City Health Center construction project, selected in 2019 as part of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's medical service improvement project with an investment of 13.2 billion KRW, was completed and relocated in September. The Goryak Health Living Support Center construction project, funded with 4.3 billion KRW under the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Healthy Living Support Center project in 2020, was completed in October and is expected to contribute to improving citizens' health.

Additionally, through the Ministry of Health and Welfare's public contest projects for expanding health care facilities, 2.8 billion KRW was secured for the Kumho Health Living Support Center construction project; 6.9 billion KRW for the expansion of Gwangyang Public Nursing Hospital under the 2020 Dementia Function Enhancement Project contest; and 7.9 billion KRW for remodeling 13 locations including Jungma Health Branch Office under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Public Building Green Remodeling project.

The city anticipated a significant increase in public health demand due to the spread of COVID-19 and the aging population, and actively participated in central government contests, securing a total project budget of 35.7 billion KRW. Efforts were made to build large-scale health infrastructure by expanding facilities and improving aging facilities at 17 public health institutions.

Looking at the status of each project, the Gwangyang City Health Center construction project, a three-story building with a total floor area of 4,617㎡, began construction in June 2020 and was completed and relocated in September.

Key facilities include the first floor housing vaccination rooms, tuberculosis rooms, Korean medicine rooms, and physical therapy rooms; the second floor with health promotion management rooms, Nutrition Plus rooms, smoking cessation clinics, and oral health rooms to minimize visitor movement; and the third floor consisting of offices for health administration, health promotion, and food hygiene departments.

Moreover, the expansion of Gwangyang Public Nursing Hospital is currently undergoing interior finishing work. The five-story building with a total floor area of 2,275㎡ is scheduled for completion in February 2022, increasing the existing 96 beds to 174 beds, thereby providing high-quality dementia medical services.

The Kumho Health Living Support Center construction project, a two-story building with a total floor area of 825㎡ in the Kumho-dong area where there was no health institution until now, is currently in the design phase and is expected to be completed in April 2023. It is anticipated to contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases and the formation of healthy lifestyle habits among residents of Kumho-dong.

Furthermore, the health institution remodeling project, funded with 7.9 billion KRW through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Public Building Green Remodeling contest, involves replacing windows and insulation materials, installing high-efficiency heating and cooling devices, and ventilation systems at 13 health institutions to reduce energy consumption and create a comfortable environment. The project is currently in the design and construction phase and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2022.

Meanwhile, the former health center building is undergoing remodeling with an investment of 1.8 billion KRW from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Public Building Green Remodeling project. It will be used as a dedicated infectious disease prevention area including expanded COVID-19 screening clinic space, a children's health education center, and a mental health center.

Park Ju-pil, director of the health center, said, “This large-scale expansion of public health care infrastructure is expected to contribute to revitalizing the local economy and promoting citizens' health,” adding, “We will continue to provide a pleasant health care environment to create a healthy Gwangyang City.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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