Osan City Secures 540 Million Won in National Funding for Health Center Construction

Osan City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kwak Sang-uk) has achieved the accomplishment of securing 540 million won in national funding for the construction of a health center (hereinafter referred to as a Healthy Lifestyle Support Center) as it was selected first among Gyeonggi Province municipalities in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2014 call for proposals for new Healthy Lifestyle Support Center installation institutions.

Following the Ministry of Health and Welfare's amendment to the Regional Health Act last year to integrate and operate existing urban health centers as Healthy Lifestyle Support Centers, and as a follow-up measure, a call for proposals was issued for new Healthy Lifestyle Support Center installation institutions. Osan City achieved the distinction of being the first municipality in Gyeonggi Province selected after the related legal amendment.

The Healthy Lifestyle Support Center will be constructed with a total budget of 810 million won, comprising 540 million won in national funding and 270 million won in municipal funding. It will be built within the newly constructed office building of the Sinjang-dong Community Center scheduled for construction in Geumam-dong, spanning approximately 500 square meters of total floor area.

The newly constructed Healthy Lifestyle Support Center will have a total of 7 staff members including physicians, nurses, exercise prescription specialists, and nutritionists who will carry out healthy lifestyle promotion projects such as smoking cessation and alcohol moderation, chronic disease management projects for hypertension and diabetes, and support programs for pregnant women and infertile couples.

A health center official stated, "Through the construction of this Healthy Lifestyle Support Center, we aim to establish public health care infrastructure in the healthy lifestyle promotion and chronic disease management sectors, thereby contributing to the health promotion and disease prevention of local residents." The official further noted, "We also expect that this will alleviate inconveniences for residents in the Segyo District and facilitate accessible healthcare services for medically vulnerable populations including low-income families, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women, thereby enabling equitable provision of public health services."