Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital Surpasses 10,000 Annual Surgeries Total

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, a global cancer-specialized hospital, has surpassed "10,000 surgeries annually" for the first time since its opening. This surgical achievement is especially noteworthy as it was accomplished despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital on the 24th, the hospital, operating 13 operating rooms (11 for general anesthesia and 2 for local anesthesia), recorded a total of 10,256 surgeries last year.

The breakthrough of "10,000 surgeries annually" was particularly driven by increased surgical performances in the departments of Endocrine Surgery (1,912 cases annually), Urology (1,572 cases annually), and Orthopedics (1,003 cases annually) compared to the previous year. The total number of surgeries in 2019 was 9,864.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital started with 287 beds when it opened in April 2004 and currently operates 705 beds, continuously maintaining its reputation as "the top hospital nationwide in cancer surgeries per bed."

In January 2017, the 13th year since its opening, the hospital surpassed a cumulative total of 100,000 surgeries and has shown an increasing trend in surgeries every year.

As the only tertiary general hospital in Jeonnam, it has mainly performed highly complex surgeries in the fields of cancer and joints.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital has further enhanced its global reputation, being selected as one of the "World's Best Cancer Hospitals" by the international news weekly Newsweek last year.

Additionally, in the "Evaluation of Medical Services Experienced by Inpatients" announced last year by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), the hospital achieved the highest score among national university hospitals for the second consecutive time since 2018, maintaining high customer satisfaction.

It has also demonstrated excellent medical capabilities by receiving the highest grade annually in HIRA's "Cancer Treatment Appropriateness Evaluation."

Moreover, in 2010, it was the first among national university hospitals nationwide to receive accreditation from the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), early on certifying its world-class medical quality and patient safety.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital is uniquely located in a rural city rich in forests rather than a metropolitan area among the 45 tertiary general hospitals in Korea, and it has attracted attention as a nature-friendly healing infrastructure by creating a vast "Healing Forest" within the hospital grounds.

Shin Myung-geun, director of Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, said, "Thanks to the passion of our medical staff and the trust and support of our customers, we have surpassed '10,000 surgeries annually.' This record is even more meaningful as it was achieved amid the unprecedented disaster of COVID-19." He added, "As a hospital leading cancer healing and conquest, we will do our best to realize patient-tailored 'precision medicine,' the goal of future medicine, by building top-tier capabilities and excellent infrastructure."