Gyeongbuk Province Launches 'Hospital Accompaniment Service' for Sick Children in Dual-Income Families ... Fulfilling Pledge to Achieve 'Zero Childcare Burden'

Starting September, full implementation for ages 4 to elementary students in Docheong New Town

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gui-yeol] Mr. A, who runs a small business in a new town, takes a moment to take his sick child to the hospital. Whether due to a shortage of hospitals or the large number of children, the waiting time at hospitals in the new town is very long.

He has to think about his child, but he is very anxious because of his customers. He wonders if someone could take his place. He hopes that someone could accompany his child to the hospital, get a prescription, and safely bring the child back home.

Gyeongbuk Province, with the start of the 8th elected administration, will implement an emergency care service for sick children in the provincial government new town from September, focusing on a hospital accompaniment service to relieve parents' worries about hospital visits for sick children in dual-income families.

Regardless of income, the service targets children aged 4 and above in dual-income families, from preschoolers to elementary school students. A dedicated caregiver will visit the sick child and provide hospital accompaniment and safe return care services for mild illnesses such as colds.

To this end, a system has been established on the Gyeongbuk Childcare Comprehensive Support Center website where applications for the ‘Emergency Care Pilot Project for Sick Children’ service can be submitted.

Service use applications can be made from 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM on the day for morning appointments, and from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM on the day for afternoon appointments.

After the application is confirmed, the dedicated caregiver will contact the parents by phone to understand the child’s symptoms and any special notes in advance. After the hospital visit (in Andong or Yecheon), the medical results will be provided via the website and text message.

The service is free of charge, but hospital and medication costs are borne by the parents.

After the pilot project this year, the plan is to expand the service to six cities and counties by 2026.

The province will also implement a Gyeongbuk-style child care specialization project in the second half of this year using the local extinction response fund to improve the quality of care.

Reflecting various child care policy demands according to field conditions, the project will support customized ideas from users.

Creative convergence programs, play programs, and infrastructure improvements in care-vulnerable areas will be supported through a public contest targeting care facilities, village schools, and child organizations, with the contest scheduled for September.

Kim Ho-seop, Director of the Gyeongbuk Province Child and Women’s Happiness Bureau, emphasized, “We will thoroughly manage emergency care, care spaces, care costs, and care quality for the healthy growth of our children, the future generation’s protagonists. Child care is no longer just a family community matter but nurturing the next generation, so we will do our best to ensure public responsibility.”

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