Gangnam-gu, Seoul National University Hospital offer free checkups to 193 medically underserved residents

Gangnam-gu held a free health screening for 193 medically underserved residents at Ilwon Eco Park on Saturday, in partnership with the Gangnam Center of Seoul National University Hospital, the district announced Monday.

The event was organized to give residents who face financial barriers to medical care access to professional health screenings. Gangnam-gu, the SNUH Gangnam Center and local social welfare facilities worked together to identify eligible participants and provide support from the initial screening through follow-up care.

The program, known as "Health Guardian Angels by Our Side," traces its origins to a 2009 MOU establishing the Beautiful Neighbor, Gangnam Stepping Stone Project. The project is a public-private partnership in which local small businesses, hagwon, hospitals, restaurants and other establishments donate goods and services to neighbors in need using their own expertise. Through this year, a cumulative 2,866 residents have received free health screenings under the initiative, cementing its place as a public-private cooperation model in community healthcare.

Saturday's screening drew more than 120 volunteers from the SNUH Gangnam Center's Oasis Volunteer Corps, along with about 100 welfare facility workers and other volunteers. The checkups covered nine medical specialties: internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, neurology, a pain clinic, obstetrics and gynecology, dentistry, otolaryngology and radiology.

Participants were selected based on referrals from 13 welfare organizations in the district. Results will be communicated individually through those organizations at a later date. Residents who require further diagnostic tests or treatment will be referred to either the SNUH Gangnam Center or local medical institutions with agreements with Gangnam-gu for follow-up care.

Alongside the screenings, information booths offering welfare resources were set up. Five booths covered mental health counseling, alcohol reduction and abstinence counseling, housing support for single-person households, Gangnam-gu's integrated care service and a smart welfare center guide, allowing participants to access a range of support information in one place.

"I am deeply grateful to the SNUH Gangnam Center, the Oasis Volunteer Corps, welfare organization staff and volunteers who have long dedicated their efforts to looking after the health of vulnerable residents," district mayor Jo Seong-myeong said. "I hope this public-private partnership between local medical institutions and welfare organizations will consistently continue, becoming a reliable source of strength for more residents of our district."

Meanwhile, Gangnam-gu signed an MOU with Hana ENT Hospital in February and provided hearing aids to 25 underserved residents.