Medical Gyeonggi e-News

[MAR. 2022] Gyeonggi-do Medical Aid Program to Help Overcome Blind Spots in Healthcare Systems

  • Name 관리자
  • Date 2022-03-25
  • Views 1055

Gyeonggi-do Medical Aid Program to Help Overcome Blind Spots in Healthcare Systems in Foreign Countries

Overseas Medical Supplies Support Project 

 

▲ Distribution of medical supplies (Pampanga, the Philippines)

 

With the ongoing damage of COVID-19, developing countries are in dire need of healthcare support. Gyeonggi-do and Gyeonggi-do Medical Association shared some neighborly love by donating medical supplies to foreign countries in 2021.

 

Gyeonggi-do Medical Association takes part in overseas medical volunteering services every year. However, as it became difficult to visit foreign countries due to COVID-19, the association has been providing medical supplies to countries that lack healthcare resources in place of medical volunteering since 2020. In 2021, the amount of medical supplies that were sent greatly increased, which was great news for countries with blind spots in healthcare systems.

 

Gyeonggi-do increased its budget for sending medical supplies from KRW 10 million in 2020 to 20 million in 2021. Gyeonggi-do Medical Association also provided KRW 10 million, amounting to a total of KRW 30 million, to send a variety of medical supplies including ointments for various skin conditions, pain relief patches, antibiotics, antipyretics and analgesics, nutritional supplements including vitamins and iron, and masks.

 

The number of supplied masks, which were popular among the locals in 2020, increased by more than threefold. A total of 30,000 KF94 masks for adults and 6,000 masks for children were donated. Also, after identifying the local healthcare situations and demand for medical supplies, 30 non-contact thermometers, 15 automatic body temperature checking devices, 30 automatic blood pressure testing devices, 30 oxygen saturation monitors, and 100 blood glucose monitor kits were sent.

 

 

Medical supplies that were shipped in October arrived in the Philippines at the end of November. Local public health centers and health promotion centers distributed the supplies to approximately 5,000 individuals in the healthcare-vulnerable groups living in the Anunas and Ayta communities in Porac, Pampanga in December.

 

▲ Local news footage

 

The citizens showed great interest, and the local news team came when the supplies were distributed to feature the event on the evening news to express gratitude. Even children seemed to be interested in hygiene, as they wore masks and tried out the non-contact thermometers and hand sanitizers.

 

A representative from the Gyeonggi-do Medical Association stated “It is unfortunate that we cannot take part in overseas medical volunteering this year again due to COVID-19.” He added, “However, this will not stop us from helping the healthcare-vulnerable groups overseas. We will provide them with various types of support, including providing medical supplies.”