Busan is good

Busan Selected as an Excellent Institution in Oral Health Project Evaluation… Awarded the Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation

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Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Heong-joon announced that Busan was selected as an excellent municipality in the “2024 Local Government Oral Health Project Evaluation” conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and received the Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare annually recognizes contributors who have promoted local oral health projects and improved public oral health, and evaluates municipalities nationwide to spread the achievements of these projects. The evaluation comprehensively assesses various indicators, including qualitative indicators (efforts in project implementation), best practices, quantitative indicators (achievement of goals), and additional indicators.

Busan was selected as one of six excellent municipalities nationwide and achieved the top score in the comprehensive evaluation. The award ceremony was held during the “Oral Health Project Performance Conference” on September 26 at the Peace & Park Convention in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

At the ceremony, six metropolitan governments and 25 cities and counties that achieved top comprehensive evaluation scores received the Minister of Health and Welfare Award. Busan, along with Ansan and Jeju, presented their best practices.

Busan received particularly high marks in the category of “Establishing and Expanding the Oral Health Care Delivery System for Persons with Disabilities.” Busan designated the establishment of an oral health care delivery system for persons with disabilities as a key pledge project of the eighth municipal administration and has been implementing active policies to strengthen dental service accessibility for persons with disabilities.

In addition to operating the Busan Regional Disabled Oral Health Care Center since April 2012, the city has provided an annual budget of approximately 350 million KRW, including personnel costs for five staff members, to the Disabled Dental Center at the Busan Medical Center, expanding what was previously once-a-week treatment to full-time, year-round service. Furthermore, a Disabled Dental Center will also be established at the Seobu Busan Medical Center, scheduled to open in 2028.

Additionally, Busan provides annual subsidies of approximately 700 million KRW for denture treatment for seniors and persons with disabilities and has installed and operated school oral health clinics at special schools such as Solbit School in Sasang-gu and Busan School for the Blind in Dongnae-gu.

Moreover, the city annually operates the “Visiting Dental Care Lounge” project, visiting five residential facilities for persons with disabilities to provide dental checkups, oral health education, fluoride application, and denture cleaning services on a regular basis.

Going forward, Busan plans to strengthen its comprehensive and systematic capabilities to improve access to dental services for persons with severe disabilities and to ensure continuous management of oral health for persons with disabilities.

In addition, through a referral and cooperative treatment system, the city will regularly promote oral health improvement projects and make continuous efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of dental care utilization.

Cho Kyu-yul, Director General of the Citizens’ Health Bureau, stated, “This award is the result of close communication and cooperation among the city, district and county health centers, medical institutions, and related organizations in the community. We will continue to provide support so that persons with disabilities can receive dental treatment with confidence, and we will strive to build a ‘Healthy City, Busan.’”