Ministry of Health and Welfare union joins charitable effort
Foreign Ministry union leads drive to help children in Eswatini
Kang Seok-ju, chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Health and Welfare Committee for the first half of the council term (People Power Party, Gangseo 2), said he arranged the donation of 14,000 pediatric antibiotics for children in Eswatini, Africa, working with the Ministry of Health and Welfare civil servant union. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs civil servant union led the effort.
The Foreign Ministry union recently delivered medicines received from a domestic pharmaceutical company to the South Korean Embassy in Mozambique, which also has jurisdiction over Eswatini. The medicines will pass through the embassy to Huiyeon Memorial Hospital, a nonprofit medical facility providing free healthcare in Eswatini, with some also going to Eswatini's national hospital.
Kim Han-gi, chair of the Korean Association in Eswatini, founded Huiyeon Memorial Hospital in memory of his sister, who died in an accident. The Eswatini government, sympathetic to the hospital's founding mission, provided a roughly 23,000-square-meter site free of charge during its construction.
Lee Ju-yeon, chair of the Foreign Ministry union, said the donation followed a medical volunteer program the union conducted last November with the Ministry of Health and Welfare union for foreign workers and multicultural families in Boeun-gun, North Chungcheong Province. "This time, we partnered with an overseas diplomatic mission to donate medicines abroad," Lee said. "We hope this will serve as an opportunity to expand the reach of civil servant union volunteer activities."
The Ministry of Health and Welfare union, led by chair Jeong Seung-mun, also took part through solidarity and cooperation. The Foreign Ministry union expects the initiative — which brought together an overseas diplomatic mission and a private pharmaceutical company — to serve as a new model for civil servant social contribution activities.
The donation carried added significance as it came amid growing exchanges and cooperation between South Korea and African nations.
Kang said he was honored to take part in the meaningful act of giving as his term in the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council draws to a close. "I will continue to join in sharing and service for those who are marginalized," he said.
7toy7@heraldcorp.com
