The association consists of approximately 3,800 graduates of the Ewha School of Medicine.
The alumni association will support nine of the 11 youth shelters in Seoul, including Angela’s House and the Gangnam-gu Youth Shelter. Sixty alumni have decided to participate in supporting the teenagers from youth shelters in each alumna’s own hospitals or medical offces.
Youths will get free medical check-ups and treatment whenthey visit hospitals or medical offices managed by members of the association.
Since the shelters are designated as youth facilities - not as welfare facilities - shelters cannot receive public funding for medical care.
“Not being able to afford medical fees by ourselves, we often gave up providing expensive dental or mental aid. But with the alumni association’s help, we can now give the teenagers what they need,” said Kim Kyoung-ran, manager of Angela’s House, a youth shelter.
The alumni association recognized the lack of medical support for teenagers and decided to do something about it.
“We don’t expect specifc results from this assistance. We only hope that the youths understand the warmth and attention that we try to deliver through the medical care we provide,” said Bae Soon-hi (’75, Medical School), president of the alumni association.