Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Demands 'Field-Oriented Welfare Policy'

To address social issues such as widening wealth disparity, low birth rates, and aging populations, there is an urgent need for 'field-oriented policies'—welfare measures that residents can feel tangibly in their daily lives and enhanced medical services for vulnerable groups including the low-income population.

At the third regular standing committee meeting of the Health and Welfare Public Information Committee (Chair Ko In-jung) of the 271st provisional session of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly on the 12th, during business reports from the Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation and Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center, committee members called for developing welfare policy models tailored to Gyeonggi Province's characteristics to enhance the welfare services residents experience in practice.

In the Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation's business report, committee members pointed out that while the foundation's primary function is developing welfare policies, the research projects it has undertaken rarely translate into actual policies. They strongly demanded that the foundation strengthen its 'field-oriented policy research capabilities' by gathering on-site opinions from actual welfare stakeholders in need of welfare planning, rather than conducting research for research's sake.

Regarding the budget, with surplus revenue from the 2012 fiscal year showing an increase compared to the previous year, committee members raised the necessity of reviewing the validity of the foundation's major projects once more and establishing more detailed project plans.

In the Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center's business report, committee members ordered strengthening medical services through facility reinforcement projects and other measures to address the center's declining competitiveness against private medical institutions due to outdated medical equipment.

Regarding the appointment process of the Uijeongbu Hospital director, committee members urged the hospital to follow fair and transparent procedures in hiring directors by preparing implementation plans addressing the issues noted in audit findings regarding non-compliance in recruitment procedures.