Innovation 24

The “Firsts” and “Bests” of Government Innovation

The Korean Government will accredit the “Firsts” of our innovations that contributed to the public’s comfort and safety, and select the “Best” cases of government innovation to spread as examples to our many institutions.

The Best

Public Postpartum Care Centers

Songpa District of Seoul
Introduced in 2014

The Songpa Maternity Care Center is the nation’s largest public postpartum maternal care center, holding 27 maternity rooms.

The center acquired the nation’s first KS(Korean Industrial Standards) service certification in the postpartum care center service field with its pleasant environment, various health enhancement programs, and systematic operation.

Content

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The Songpa Maternity Care Center, external view ⓒ Songpa Maternity Care Center

√ Overview

√ Launch and Operation

√ Distinction

√ Onwards

■ The Nation’s Largest Public Postpartum Center, where Mothers are Lining Up.

With recent low birth rates being a rising social issue, the government and individual municipalities have announced various support policies. In particular, the establishment of public postpartum care centers are high in demand, as they provide direct health and safety assistance to mothers and newborns, while also providing economic relief though saved expenses.

The Songpa Maternity Care Center, located in Jang-Ji Dong, Songpa District, boasts the largest scale of facilities among all public postpartum care centers in the nation (27 maternity rooms and 30 newborn beds). Furthermore, it is prepared with various facilities, including nursery rooms, breastfeeding chambers, skincare rooms, a cafeteria, and resting garden, etc. In addition, it is operated as a One-stop maternal health enhancement center that combines existing postpartum care centers with various health enhancement programs.

Various Amenities at the Center ⓒ Songpa Maternity Care Center

The center is gaining popularity as it boasts outstanding facilities that compare favorably to even private postpartum care centers, while a regular maternity room is priced at 1.9 million won for 2 weeks of use. This rate is lower than half the mean cost of private postpartum centers in Seoul, recorded at 4.19 million won.

■ Introduced in 2014, Operated as a One-stop Maternity Care Center.

The Songpa Maternity Care Center, opened in 2014, was the second to open in the nation. In the case of Seoul, private postpartum care centers are becoming more upscaled and luxurious, with costs skyrocketing without any limits. The Songpa District Office is operating the center with 100% district funds to provide ordinary citizens with the best healthcare services at a low cost.

The Songpa Maternity Care Center, while being low cost, is equipped with facilities that would give other high-cost Gangnam centers a run for their money. Above all else, the center is implementing customized programs that assist the health and safety of mothers and newborns, and aid in the nurturing process.

Once a mother joins the center, they must stay in a mother-child joint room (the process of the mother and newborn living in the same space). This system is implemented in accordance with article 15 of the “Mother and Child Health Act”, which dictates that “operators of postpartum care must make an effort to provide mother-child joint rooms adequately to prevent infection and sickness”.

Newborn care at the center is also professional and systematic. The nursery rooms are operated with a 3-shift system, with each shift consisting of 5 professional personnel including a charge nurse and an assistant nurse.

Participating mothers have expressed extremely high satisfaction, as the maternal education programs are also directly conducted by charge nurses, Songpa District Public Health Center personnel, and specialist doctors of pediatrics and obstetrics, separated from any association with ordinary infant cosmetics companies or massage providers, etc.

The facility consists of 2 basement floors and 5 above-ground floors. A ▲ public postpartum care center, a ▲ “Mom’s Clinic”, a ▲ medical expenses support office, and a ▲ custom exercise clinic, etc., are all located in the building, with the nation’s first “Mother and Child Health Project” implementation department also present. Thanks to this suite of facilities, all support policies of each step, from pre-pregnancy to post-birth, can be conveniently registered, one-stop, at this location.

■ The Only Center to Receive 4 Consecutive KS Certifications in the Postpartum Care Center Service Field.

The Songpa Maternity Care Center is the first and only public center in the nation to receive KS (Korean Industrial Standard) certification in the postpartum care center service field. Conducted by the KSA (Korean Standards Association), KS certification for postpartum care service is awarded to outstanding institutions, following strict evaluation of national quality adequateness in categories of service quality management, operation systems, human resources, and facility safety management, etc. The Songpa Maternity Care Center has received the certification four consecutive times following its firs certification in 2017.

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[Left] KS Certification ⓒ Songpa Maternity Care Center [Right] KS Certification PR video ⓒ Songpa Facilities Management Corporation Youtube Channel

In addition, the center boasts being certified as an “Outstanding Indoor Air Quality Facility” (Awarded by the City of Seoul, 2023), and installing and operating a temperature and humidity incubation system (2014) to control and manage temperature and humidity in the nursery room.

Based on these facilities, the care center conducted a poll for 521 of its users in 2023, with satisfaction rates reaching 96%.

As the maternity care center is the first in the nation to hold the capacity for “One-stop Mother and Child Health” in action, several cities and provinces in Korea, and even overseas universities, have reached out to benchmark the center.

■ Comprehensive Maternity Health Management, and Pregnancy Prep Support for the Public

The Songpa District, with the highest newborn count among Seoul’s 25 municipal districts, not only operates the best public postpartum care center in the nation, but also makes efforts to provide high-quality “mother and child” health services. The district has further plans to form interactive experience programs where the public can participate in various ways for each step of pregnancy, from preparatory to postpartum.

First of all, for antepartum education, “Safe Delivery Lamaze Breathing” programs, that increase mothers’ understanding of childbirth through theory classes and ease anxiety through breathing methods, are conducted. For Mothers past at least 20 weeks of pregnancy, the “Beginner Mom Nursing in Action” program is conducted. The program includes prior instruction on inner wrapping, bathing, burping etc for newborns utilizing baby dolls, and also handles breastfeeding methods. Anyone registered with the postpartum assistance support project can also access the materials with online videos.

Furthermore, the District Public Health Clinic’s dentists conduct a “Songpa Maternity Dental Class” program that provides professional knowledge of oral care for mothers and infants, such as prevention of pregnancy gingivitis. philanthropy, bettering both our bodies and hearts. Even right now, Ddareungi is riding forward to construct a healthier and safer bike city.

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Interactive experience programs for each term of pregnancy ⓒ Songpa District Office

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