[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation and Korea University Medical Center held a signing ceremony on the 4th for the 'Laos OnDream Blindness Prevention' project to treat eye diseases and strengthen medical personnel in the Laos region.
At the signing ceremony, Kwon Oh-kyu, Chairman of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation, and Kim Young-hoon, Vice President of Korea University Medical Center, attended, and the heads of both organizations pledged mutual cooperation to solve eye health issues in the Laos region and enhance the capabilities of medical personnel. The project will be carried out over two years from April this year to March 2022, with a budget of 350 million KRW invested.
Eye diseases such as trachoma and cataracts are common illnesses affecting 3.3% of the global population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The foundation is focusing on the field of 'blindness prevention,' which shows a high cure rate through detection and treatment via screenings, and is promoting overseas medical projects.
Kwon Oh-gyu, Chairman of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation (right in the photo), and Kim Young-hoon, Vice President for Medical Affairs at Korea University Medical Center, held the 'Laos On Dream Blindness Prevention' agreement ceremony at Korea University Medical Center on the 4th and took a commemorative photo. Photo by Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation
Through this project, the foundation will cooperate with the Laos Ministry of Health to support education expenses for local eye health medical personnel and provide treatment costs for blindness-causing diseases such as cataracts to local residents. Additionally, high-quality medical services will be provided through overseas volunteer work by Korea University medical staff.
The foundation has been conducting blindness prevention projects in Malawi, Africa since 2013, and this year it is expanding to Asian regions such as Laos and Nepal. In line with the Laos government's plan to train ophthalmologists, the foundation will support education expenses for training courses for ophthalmology specialists and general ophthalmologists in Laos, and will conduct domestic invitation training for health policy managers and medical staff to improve accessibility to various clinical cases and treatment methods for eye diseases.
The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation was established in 2007 with a private donation from Chung Mong-Koo, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. Based on the founder's philosophy of social contribution, it carries out diverse and specialized activities under the brand 'OnDream' to serve as a ladder of dreams and hope.
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