Michuhol-gu Council Member Calls for Integrated Care Expansion

Michuhol-gu Council Member Tae Hwa-sun has urged the establishment of a sustainable management system to address a growing demand for integrated community care. According to a Ministry of Health and Welfare survey, the district has a core demand group of 9,010 individuals, consisting of 7,754 elderly residents and 1,256 people with disabilities under the age of 65.

While Michuhol-gu has already established a foundation by creating an integrated care department and enacting relevant ordinances, Tae emphasized that administrative structures must translate into tangible services. She proposed three key improvements: establishing a mid-to-long-term manpower operation plan to predict demand over the next three to five years, strengthening the linkage between local medical and care services to address supply gaps in areas like community-based rehabilitation, and creating a post-service management system to monitor residents' health and living environments.

Tae noted that as public awareness of the system grows, the workload for field staff—who often manage both existing welfare duties and new integrated care tasks—is expected to increase. She highlighted that with approximately 1.5 billion KRW budgeted for integrated care projects by 2027, the district must ensure professional staffing and robust community cooperation to support the program's success.