Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital

Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital obtained a 1.8 billion won grant ($1.7 million) from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy to nurture medical tourism industry in Gangwon Province along with three local medical institutions and one agency.

Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital has been developing its own medical tourism program specifically tailored to Gangwon region by modeling after Parkway Hospital in Singapore and Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand since 2009.

The hospital held a series of business presentations in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan and its doctors performed arthroplasties and retina surgeries for local doctors there. It also invited key executives and doctors at the National Central Hospital of Mongolia, Second General Hospital and Health Sciences University of Mongolia to Korea for training.

Live surgeries in Mongolia have allowed Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Hospital to win many opportunities. The hospital has successfully promoted its surgery expertise and skills, passed on the latest knowledge of medicine to Mongolian medical professionals and improved patient satisfaction. These achievements have enabled the hospital to increase exchanges with overseas medical institutions.

These active interactions have naturally led Mongolian doctors to recommend its critical patients to get treatment at Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital. VIP patients including a Supreme Court Justice, CEO of a Mongolian TV station, chief immigration officer and former Mongolian national wrestler travelled to Chuncheon to get arthroplasties, disc surgery, encephalitis treatment, and nasal cavity surgery.

The number of international patients at Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Hospital jumped sharply soon after stories of Mongolian VIP patients’ successful medical treatment results spread quickly through word of mouth upon their return to Mongolia. Last year the number of international patients increased by 19 percent year-on-year. In particular, the number of international patients excluding multicultural families and foreign students surged by 36.4 percent during that period. Among them, the number of Mongolian patients grew by 64 percent.

Led by Dr. Sang-Soo Lee of Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, the hospital will continue to seek various ways to boost medical tourism by "providing Korea’s best medical care," "establishing internationally competitive specialized centers," "creating local-metropolitan-overseas community network," and "developing customer satisfaction service that stands on a par with international standards."

By Miju Kim, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (miju@hallym.or.kr)