Sick Children at Night... Namhae County Reduces Healthcare Gaps

Namhae County Selected for Ministry of Health and Welfare Project

Nighttime Pediatric Care to Begin Three Times a Week

Namhae Hospital Designated, Receives Annual Support of 120 Million Won

Namhae County announced that Namhae Hospital, operated by Ido Medical Foundation, has been selected as the final recipient of the “Support Project for Pediatric Nighttime and Holiday Medical Institutions in Underserved Areas,” promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

This project is a program that provides funding for personnel and operational costs, enabling pediatric care to be available at night and on holidays in regions where there is a relative shortage of medical staff, including pediatric specialists.

The main objectives are to fill medical service gaps in pediatric nighttime and holiday care in underserved areas, protect the health rights of pediatric patients, and improve the living conditions for local residents.

Photo of Namhae County Office Building

In particular, it is expected that participating medical institutions will be able to accumulate experience in providing outpatient care at night, which will serve as a foundation for being designated as “Moonlight Children’s Hospitals” in the future.

The selection process comprehensively evaluated factors such as the risk of population decline, vulnerability of essential medical services, pediatric care capabilities, specificity of operational plans, commitment and quality management measures for project execution, sustainability, and contribution to improving local medical services. Selected institutions will receive an annual support of 120 million won for personnel and operational expenses.

Namhae County explained that the issue of medical service gaps—where pediatric patients struggled to receive timely care during nighttime hours—had been continuously raised in the region. Namhae Hospital was highly rated for having pediatric specialists and related equipment, as well as presenting a concrete and feasible plan for nighttime care.

In addition, the positive evaluation reflected the hospital’s establishment of a cooperative system with the Emergency Medical Center at Gyeongsang National University Hospital, enabling stable project implementation.

The selected Namhae Hospital will operate nighttime pediatric care three times a week (Monday, Thursday, and Friday) from 6 PM to 11 PM, starting April 16. This is expected to address the gap in nighttime pediatric care in the region and strengthen the local medical infrastructure.

Furthermore, in conjunction with Geongang Pharmacy, which has been designated and is operating as a public nighttime and late-night pharmacy, access to pharmaceuticals is also expected to improve.

Kwack Kidu, Director of Namhae County Health Center, stated, “Through this project, we will create an environment where children can safely receive care even at night,” adding, “We will continue to strive to improve local medical services.”

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