Ministry of Health Designates Two Additional 'Dementia Relief Hospitals' in Busan and Masan

Equipped with Dedicated Wards, Staff, and Facilities for Dementia Patients

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 31st that it has additionally designated 'Busan Senior Specialized Hospital No. 4' and Gyeongnam's 'Municipal Masan Nursing Hospital' as Dementia Relief Hospitals to provide high-quality dementia medical services.

Dementia Relief Hospitals are hospital-level medical institutions equipped with facilities and equipment tailored to the characteristics of dementia patients, such as dedicated wards for dementia patients, neurologists or psychiatrists, and specialized nursing staff, providing expertise in dementia treatment and management.

Since 2019, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has been operating the Dementia Relief Hospital designation system. When hospital-level medical institutions that meet the requirements under the Dementia Management Act (personnel, facilities, equipment, etc.) apply for designation, their compliance is verified before designation. According to the nationwide expansion plan for Dementia Relief Hospitals established in the '4th Comprehensive Dementia Management Plan (2021?2025),' as of March 2025, 24 Dementia Relief Hospitals have been expanded nationwide, exceeding the original 2025 target of 22 hospitals.

Im Eum-gi, Director of Elderly Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "With the designation of Dementia Relief Hospitals in the two regions of Busan and Gyeongnam, we expect the medical services for dementia patients in these areas to improve. Especially since this is the first Dementia Relief Hospital designated in the Busan area, dementia patients requiring inpatient treatment can now receive specialized care close to home."

The government plans to continue actively supporting the provision of high-quality medical services to dementia patients requiring inpatient treatment through the continuous expansion of Dementia Relief Hospitals, enabling their early return to the community.

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