[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The new hospital construction project of Chonnam National University Hospital, the ‘Future-type New Smart Hospital,’ has been selected as a preliminary feasibility study target project by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Accordingly, with the preliminary feasibility study set to begin in earnest from next year, the long-awaited new hospital construction project for the local residents has taken its first step.
On the morning of the 27th, the Ministry of Economy and Finance held the 8th Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee meeting and reviewed the agenda for the new hospital construction project at Chonnam National University Hospital, selecting it as a preliminary feasibility study target project.
This achievement came on the second attempt after being rejected at the 3rd Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee in August.
Chonnam National University Hospital has been carrying out the ‘Future-type New Smart Hospital’ construction project to overcome the physical and structural limitations of the aging hospital and establish a future-oriented medical system to bridge the medical gap with the metropolitan area.
Since launching the New Hospital Construction Promotion Team in January 2021, after a total of 18 meetings, it was announced last November that the new hospital would be built on the Chonnam National University Hakdong Campus site.
Subsequently, after conducting a one-year preliminary feasibility analysis together with the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, it was confirmed that the project aligns with government policies such as ▲strengthening public healthcare ▲community-centered implementation policies ▲basic plans for redefining medical institution functions, and the economic feasibility (B/C) was evaluated at 2.27. Accordingly, the second preliminary feasibility study request was submitted to the Ministry of Economy and Finance last October, and the project was selected as a target project.
The ‘Future-type New Smart Hospital’ will have 1,300 beds and a total floor area of 270,000㎡ (81,675 pyeong), with a project cost of 1.215 trillion KRW (304 billion KRW from the national treasury, 911 billion KRW self-funded) to be invested over 11 years until 2034.
The new hospital, to be constructed in two phases, will complete the first phase (East Building) by 2030 with a 700-bed facility on the Chonnam Medical School Hakdong Campus and Chonnam National University College of Nursing site. Afterward, the medical functions of the existing Buildings 1 and 3, the Children’s Hospital (Building 6), and the annex building (Building 2) will be transferred and the hospital will open.
The requests for the new hospital construction by Chonnam National University Hospital and the residents of Gwangju and Jeonnam have also been supported by Gwangju City and both the ruling and opposition parties.
Chonnam National University Hospital Director Ahn Young-geun stated, “Passing the preliminary feasibility study means not just building a new hospital but raising the level of regional healthcare so that Chonnam National University Hospital can lead the medical field in Korea. We will do our best to achieve this.”
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