Ceremony
for Health Day

Minister Kim of the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs issues "2008 Promise to People"

Minister Kim Soung-yee of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs observed the 36th Health Day and the 60th World Health Day in a ceremony in Seoul where he declared the "Promise to People 2008."The minister also presented the citations to 224 persons in the medical and other health related sectors in the country.
The promise included the change paradigm in government health policies from prevention measures to health investment, strengthening health friendly policies, providing patient-centered medical services, closer cooperation among private and public medical sectors and the central organizations and local organizations in setting up health-related policies.
President Lee Myung-bak in his congratulatory message to the ceremony, called for health assistances to the low-income bracket, preventive and active health policies to guarantee a healthy life for the people.
He said the government will provide assistance for health to the people in a humble and caring manner for the development
of the health and medical industry for the sake of boosting national health.
The government presented medals, citations and awards to 224 persons in the health sector: seven received medals, four citations, 10 presidential citations, 13 Prime minister's citations and 190 ministerial citations.
Among the recipients of medals was chairman Park Young-ha of the Eulji Foundation for providing medical services to villages without medical facilities to reduce the number of such villages around the country. He dispatched medical service teams without charges for senior citizens, and youths who have to provide for their families for the past 20 years and his contribution to medical services to North Korea.
The promise to the people made by Minister Kim also included the government providing nutritious food supplements to women who just gave births and babies. The number of health centers will increased to 52,000 this year from 11,000 in 2007.
From this year, the government will provide expenses to housewives who want to have artificial insemination due to their inabilities to get pregnant. The fund for the program will be increased annually.
The government will also actions to expand the mental health check up facilities for youths to detect early sings of mental stresses among them and treat them. The tests will conducted for some 70,000 youths in primary schools up to seventh grade students in the high school.
The government will enforce the designation of 'clean zone'the selection of food items at eateries around schools.
The public participation, the government will strengthen its health-friendly policies. The regulations requiring notices on cigarette packs that contents may contain elements that could cause cancer in humans and expand the no-smoking zones.
The government will also expand the house calls by medical teams from the public medical facilities around the country especially for the poor families around the country. Medical personnel will be increased to 2,400 this year from 2,000 last year. Some 2,400 people will have the medical checkups at their homes this year.
The government will also expand the health service markets around the country so that people can have easy accesses to medical facilities on such matters as overweight, stop smoking, . The government plans to issue health vouchers to poor people from next year. nw

(photo above)Minister Kim Soung-yee of the Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, delivers a speech at the 36th Health Day ceremony April 7.
Minister Kim, left, shakes hands with Chairman Park Young-ha of the Ulchi Foundation after presenting him with the Mugunghwa medal during the Health Day ceremony April 7.(right photo)