Doctors walk at a general hospital in Seoul on July 11, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Korea Bizwire) – In a significant shift for South Korea’s healthcare system, 42 of the nation’s 47 tertiary hospitals have agreed to participate in a government initiative aimed at restructuring their services to focus on severe illnesses and emergency care.
The program represents a key component of the government’s healthcare reform agenda, which includes plans to increase medical school enrollment.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on November 19 that 11 additional hospitals have been selected for the fourth phase of the hospital restructuring support program.
With this addition, all of South Korea’s “Big 5″ hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, are now preparing for the transition.
The newly selected institutions include St. Vincent’s Hospital, Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, Daegu Catholic University Hospital, Dong-A University Hospital, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, and Chungbuk National University Hospital.
The initiative aims to help tertiary hospitals refocus on their intended role of providing specialized care for severe illnesses, emergency cases, and rare diseases.
To receive government support, participating hospitals must increase their proportion of critical care services to 70% while reducing general hospital beds by up to 15%.
The program will eliminate 3,186 general hospital beds across participating institutions, though specialized units such as intensive care, pediatrics, high-risk pregnancy care, and emergency departments will be exempt from these reductions.
Jung Kyung-sil, head of the health ministry’s medical reforms, said the widespread participation of tertiary hospitals marks a pivotal moment in transforming these institutions into centers focused on severe illnesses, emergency care, and rare diseases, while also establishing them as focal points for inter-hospital collaboration networks.
The remaining five tertiary hospitals are expected to apply for the pilot program once they meet the government’s specified criteria.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
