SEOUL, Mar. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The health ministry on Wednesday appealed to defiant junior doctors to come forward for talks with the government, as a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors has crippled major hospitals for more than five weeks. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo urged defiant trainee doctors to “form a responsible delegation [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — For the past several decades, South Korea has achieved stellar economic performance on the back of prowess in key industries such as shipbuilding and chipmaking. But faced with rising challenges from China and other major players, Asia’s fourth-largest economy is on the lookout for the next growth drivers to [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — The government said Monday it will divide the country into some 70 districts and designate a certain number of leading hospitals in each as part of its effort to narrow the gap in public healthcare services. Under the measures announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, hospitals will [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Patients opting to carry out surgical procedures at their neighborhood clinic will be able to get the specific lowdown on details of surgical procedures, treatment methods and post-op care through in-depth medical checkups and consultations. The Ministry of Health and Welfare revealed plans on Tuesday to pursue measures that [...]
SEOUL, March 5 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea will gradually phase out the country’s controversial “disability grade” system for handicapped people, the government said Monday. Currently, the government classifies disabled people into six classes depending on their level of incapacity and medical status. The government’s assessment system determines monthly basic pension, as well as other kinds of support. The system, however, has received public criticism not [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean government will spend one trillion won on dementia research, care and infrastructure over the next 10 years, as patient numbers are set to reach 3 million by 2050. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Sunday that detailed plans for the dementia R&D project, which have [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – Following a series of misconduct reports, the government has announced plans to improve working conditions for nurses and interns. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, a ministers’ conference was held by Deputy Prime Minister Kim Sang-gon on Friday to discuss ways to tackle the poor treatment of [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – The smoking rate in South Korea rebounded last year, data showed Monday, despite the government’s effort to lower the rate with a hike in cigarette prices starting 2015. According to the data compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 23.9 percent of South Koreans aged 19 and above [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean TV doctors are facing criticism for spreading unfounded and misleading medical information to boost ratings, with one doctor even heard saying ‘doing a handstand can help grow hair’ on national television. The latest accusations against so-called ‘show doctors’, which refer to TV doctors who make appearances on health-themed [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – The Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced it is temporarily allowing deathbed patients to choose whether to continue medical care for life prolongation or not this year, in preparation for the new so-called ‘well-dying’ hospice law entering effect next year. The decision by the health ministry means that from [...]