Kaohsiung Looks Ahead to Deploying 5G Smart Long-term Care in Global Emerging Markets

Today, developed countries around the world are facing the challenges of an aging population. In 2018, Taiwan became an aged society and is projected to transition into a super-aged society in the near future. In response, the Kaohsiung City Government has not only stepped up the construction of long-term care facilities and introduction of smart technology applications in the medical field but also collaborated with local hospitals as well as the National Development Council to promote the 5G smart long-term care system. The city government also plans to deploy this system in global emerging markets while forming an alliance with several top hospitals to speed up the implementation of smart healthcare applications.

Kaohsiung City Government managed to secure resources from the National Development Council and established Taiwan’s first 5G smart long-term care demonstration site at the Gangshan Veterans Home, with the assistance of Chunghwa Telecom and its subsidiary Chunghwa System Integration. The system was launched in June this year, showcasing several research and development achievements of various types of systems used for smart care, emergency care, video visitation, 5G smart work shift scheduling, and vital sign monitoring. These systems improve the work efficiency of caregivers and demonstrate the city government’s determination and strength to develop a 5G smart long-term care system. This service will be extended to 16 veterans’ homes across Taiwan and is expected to benefit around 8,000 elders. To boost the quality of life for seniors, the government also plans to cooperate with various long-term care institutions to jointly promote smart long-term care services. With Taiwan's strengths in software and hardware integration, these services will be deployed in overseas emerging markets in the future to realize the plan of stepping onto the international stage.

In addition, to accelerate the implementation of smart healthcare applications, the Kaohsiung City Government facilitated cooperation between the top four local hospitals－Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital and E-DA Hospital－ and Taiwan AI Labs, to jointly form united smart healthcare alliance. The alliance has already been set up at the 5G AIoT Innovation Park in the Asia New Bay Area, and will establish the largest healthcare joint learning platform in Taiwan, or even in the world, through cooperation.

On the one hand, the alliance will address clinical problems that medical practitioners encounter during medical diagnosis, treatment, and telemedicine services; on the other hand, the alliance will also carry out virtual-real integration, allowing the 5G AIoT industries in the Asia New Bay Area to connect with front-end solutions, augmenting industrial development energy of smart healthcare applications in Kaohsiung. Concurrently, the city government has a comprehensive plan for proof of concepts, business models, and service models, which will lead the transformation of smart healthcare in Kaohsiung and deepen the development of the 5G AIoT industry. (Kaohsiung City Government Advertisement)