26 visitors from four Central Asian nations and the World Bank tour Gangdong-gu Public Health Center, learning about AI-assisted chest X-ray reading and Seoul's Sonmok Doctor 9988 smart health program
Community-integrated health management model covering life-cycle care, dementia and mental health shared with delegation
Gangdong-gu Public Health Center in Seoul shared its best practices in AI- and digital technology-based community health management with senior officials from four Central Asian countries and representatives of the World Bank.
Gangdong-gu announced Thursday that 26 people — including senior civil servants in the health and finance sectors from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, along with World Bank officials — visited the health center Wednesday.
The visit was part of a digital health training program jointly organized by the Korea Social Security Information Service and the World Bank. The delegation comprised 20 senior civil servants from the four Central Asian nations and six officials from the World Bank's Health, Nutrition and Population department.
The health center introduced its integrated health management system tailored to residents' health conditions and life stages. Key programs covered include metabolic syndrome management, childhood and adolescent obesity prevention, mental health and dementia care, and maternal and infant health services.
Cases in which AI and digital technology have been applied to improve the efficiency and accessibility of health services drew particular attention from the delegation.
Highlighted examples included an AI-assisted chest X-ray reading support system, the Public Health Information System (PHIS) — which links health and medical data across public health centers nationwide — and Sonmok Doctor 9988, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's smart health management program. The center also shared the operations and outcomes of the Gangdong Physical Fitness Certification Center.
Following the program presentations, the delegation toured key facilities including the Gangdong Physical Fitness Certification Center, the Family Health Promotion Center and the Mind Counseling Center. The tour gave visitors a firsthand look at how digital technology and specialized personnel are deployed to promote residents' health and prevent disease.
The health center has also earned recognition for its life-cycle health management programs. It received a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare for two consecutive years for its childhood and adolescent obesity prevention and management program, and was named an outstanding institution on Dementia Awareness Day, earning an additional ministerial commendation.
The district plans to use the international exchange as an opportunity to further develop its digital health management services and ensure that all residents can conveniently access health care in their daily lives.
"I hope this visit serves as an opportunity to share experiences and insights that can be applied to health care settings in each country," Gangdong-gu District Mayor Lee Su-hee said. "We will work to lower the barriers to health services so that the benefits of digital technology reach every resident equally, and redouble our efforts in life-cycle health management."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
