Minister of Planning and Budget attends integrated care site meeting... “Support for successful settlement”

Visit to Seongdong-gu Smart Healthcare Center… “Customized welfare where you live”

(Sejong = Yonhap News) Reporter Song Jeong-eun = Minister of Planning and Budget Park Hong-geun said on the 17th, "We will not spare any support to ensure that the integrated care system, which took its first steps nationwide this year, is successfully established."

On this day, Minister Park visited the Smart Healthcare Center in Seongdong-gu, Seoul and held an 'integrated care on-site meeting' with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, local governments, related organizations, and field experts, and said, "We will establish a key support direction for 2027 and closely seek ways to improve the overall system operation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the responsible ministry."

This meeting is an opportunity to check whether integrated care, which started in March of this year, is being implemented without a hitch at local sites and to listen to difficulties in the field that arise in the linkage process between 'medical-health care-nursing-care' services.

Minister Park received an explanation on the current status of health care and medical care activities based on science and technology and smart equipment mainly used by the elderly and the disabled using integrated care at the center, and talked with center users about their satisfaction with integrated care services and future support needs.

Minister Park said, “Integrated care is about supporting people who need care so that they can continue their daily lives where they live,” and emphasized that it is time to think about ways to support customized welfare services that can provide immediate help when needed from various angles.

The following meeting was attended by local governments, the National Health Insurance Corporation, nursing care workers, and activity support workers for the disabled, who are at the forefront of integrated care.

Participants suggested that in order to establish a stable integrated care service supply system, mid- to long-term policy design that takes into account realistic conditions in local areas and continuous financial support from the central government are necessary.

In particular, it was suggested that a support system should be established to alleviate the gap in medical infrastructure and care infrastructure by region, such as rural areas and vulnerable areas.

In addition, they discussed budget support for dedicated manpower and infrastructure, strengthening the role of the social solidarity economy as a provider of care services, and expanding the participation of care workers.