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S. Korea would play a vital role in New Kuwait 2035 - health official

Korean Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kwon Deok-cheol
Korean Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kwon Deok-cheol

By Mohammad Al-Kanderi

KUWAIT, May 2 (KUNA) -- The expertise and experiences of South Korea in the establishment of the healthcare system and preventive health management policy will be helpful in the New Kuwait 2035, a Korean health official said on Thursday.
Speaking to KUNA, Korean Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said that his country would play a role by sharing experiences and cases in IT-based medicine and the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The HIS of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) was established in six general hospitals, 70 primary healthcare centers in 2016, and Royal Commission Health Service Program (RCHSP) in Saudi Arabia in 2017, he explained.
The IT-based HIS reduces waiting time for patients and helps effectively manage drug and clinical information and hospital finance, he noted.
Korea established the National Health Insurance Information System (NHIIS) and Drug Utilization Review (DUR) to connect all clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies with the health insurance information of all citizens, he added.
In addition, the IT-based HIS of Korean hospitals accounted for the 6th largest share in the global HIS market, which demonstrates that the stability and effectiveness of the system is receiving recognition.
Moreover, preventive health management policy has been adopted so that people can recognize the importance of taking care of their health and actively manage health risk factors including drinking, smoking, and obesity, he said.
On cancer treatment, the Korean official said that his country has advanced clinical technologies in this field, as well as in organ transplantation.
The five-year survival rates of major cancers such as colorectal and gastric cancer and organ transplantation, including heart and pancreas, stand at a world-class level, he confirmed.
"For this reason, 20 percent of inbound patients to Korea, 90,000 patients received internal medicine treatment, including cancer and organ transplantation in 2018," he said.
Furthermore, an increasing number of foreign patients visited specialized departments, including plastic surgery, infertility, Korean Traditional Medicine, and medical check-ups, not to mention treatment for serious diseases, he added.
Korea and Kuwait signed the MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Healthcare and Medical Sciences in 2015, he said, adding that based on the MoU, the two countries started to accelerate cooperation.
In 2016, the Kuwaiti health ministry and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), a Korean public agency in the field of healthcare, singed the Implementation Plan for Korean Medical Training Program, he noted.
"Even though there is no additional agreement signed during this visit, I hope that the scope of healthcare cooperation will be wider across areas including the hospital information system (HIS) and medical devices and pharmaceuticals," he said.
Around 380,000 international patients from 190 countries visited Korea for treatment in 2018, he said, "among them, 7,000 patients came from the Middle East, and 242 from Kuwait," he added.
An increasing number of Korean medical institutions enter Middle Eastern countries including Kuwait, he said, adding "Ahnkang Hospital (Spine pain treatment hospital in Kuwait) opened in 2013." As for the cost of treatment, he said that it varies by departments; it is hard to compare the cost per country.
Nevertheless, the cost of treating serious diseases, including cancer and diabetes and medical check-ups, is relatively low in Korea compared to that of Germany and the United States, he noted.
For this reason, international patients to Korea visit internal medicine and medical check-ups the most.
The level and quality of Korean medical services are high despite the relatively low costs, he said, stressing that Korea has skilled medical personnel and advanced clinical technology.
"For instance, over 80,000 specialists are working in Korea, achieving excellent treatment progress in cancer and organ transplantation," he added.
He pointed out to 'The Medical Korea 2019'; a global healthcare and medical tourism conference, which highlights the latest trends in the global medical industry, and was held in March this year.
"With 2,300 healthcare experts from 47 countries, the Medical Korea 2019 opened a venue for 60 lectures and discussions on global healthcare," he pointed out.
In line with the event, the Korea International Medical and Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES), G2G meetings with 11 governments, and hospital fam tour (familiarization tour) were held, thereby enhancing healthcare cooperation between countries and serving as a venue for exchanges among healthcare academia, industry, and the private sector, he said.
The Medical Korea 2020 will be held from March 19 to 21, 2020, he noted. (end) mak.haq