YONGIN — The city of Yongin has designated two more hospitals as dedicated medical institutions for child abuse cases, part of an effort to strengthen protection for abused children.
Yongin said on the 14th that it had newly designated Gangnam Hospital and Medifield Hangang Hospital, both general hospitals in the city, as "Saessak Jikimi" hospitals, a program name that translates as "sprout guardian."
The hospitals serve as dedicated medical institutions that provide prompt protection for children who have been abused or are suspected of having been abused, and help them recover physically and emotionally.
The program is run jointly by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and local governments, and aims to build a medical support network so that victims can quickly receive treatment and counseling in crisis situations.
The two newly designated hospitals will handle medical screening and emergency treatment for abused children. They will also provide round-the-clock emergency medical support, mental health counseling, and physical and psychological examinations and treatment.
The additions bring the number of such hospitals in Yongin to five, including Yongin Severance Hospital, Yongin Seoul Hospital and the Seo Sang-hoon Psychiatric Clinic.
The city said it also considers the recovery of families important, not just that of the children, and plans to connect families with medical services when necessary. It said it will strengthen cooperation among local medical institutions so that children and their guardians can regain stability together.
The city delivered certificates of designation to Gangnam Hospital and Medifield Hangang Hospital the same day. It also plans to produce and present plaques officially certifying the dedicated medical institutions at a ceremony marking Child Abuse Prevention Day in November.
"Now that we have expanded the number of dedicated medical institutions to five, we will protect children in crisis more quickly," Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il said. "We will work to build a tight child safety net so that not a single child is left out."
