Gyeonggi Province launches comprehensive heat wave response measures from May 20...support for low-income households

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province has designated the period from May 20 to September 30 as its heat wave response period.

Accordingly, the province will implement comprehensive heat wave measures including providing 120,000 won in cooling expense support for low-income disabled households, installing air conditioning units in 840 households of elderly living alone, and expanding heat wave reduction facilities such as smart shade structures.

According to the province on the 17th, it will prioritize preventing human casualties from heat waves and pursue tailored measures for vulnerable populations.

The province will allocate 2.1 billion won in heat wave response funds to provide heat wave prevention supplies and operate cooling centers for elderly living alone and low-income households with high risk of heat-related illness.

The province will provide 2.68 billion won in cooling expenses of 120,000 won per household to 22,340 low-income disabled households.

The province plans to install air conditioning units in 840 households of elderly living alone with mobility difficulties and conduct joint electrical safety inspections with related agencies including the Korea Electric Safety Corporation.

As a support measure for vulnerable populations facing significant impact from rising electricity bills ahead of summer, the province has allocated 1.85 billion won for two months of cooling expenses for 8,059 senior community centers.

Additional cooling expenses have been prepared for 7,188 senior community centers and village/welfare centers designated as indoor cooling centers.

Targeting approximately 230,000 health-vulnerable populations including elderly in need of care and those with mobility difficulties, approximately 4,380 caregivers and others will establish emergency contact networks in connection with home health management services and customized elderly care services through direct visits and phone check-ins to prevent damage to vulnerable populations.

For homeless persons on the streets, the province will support 440 million won for patrol and health checks in concentrated areas, distribution of emergency relief supplies, securing leisure spaces, and strengthening functions of homeless facilities.

For a rapid heat-related illness emergency response system, the province will operate a round-the-clock management system based on 84 emergency rooms in the province and operate 276 heat wave ambulances to ensure rapid hospital transport of heat-related emergency patients.

For approximately 16,989 outdoor construction sites in the province, the province recommends operating daytime heat rest hours (2-5 p.m.), and actively pursues safety protection measures for outdoor workers and online-based workers (platform workers) by operating 74 daytime heat rest centers for mobile workers.

Additionally, the province plans to expand heat wave reduction facilities including smart shade structures and shade trees from 11,149 locations last year to 12,662 locations this year, and distributed a total of 5.7 billion won in related budget to cities and counties in February.

Recent heat-related illness cases in the province are 173 cases (0 deaths) in 2020, 271 cases (2 deaths) in 2021, and 353 cases (2 deaths) in 2022.