Incheon’s new hospital ship will expand its mobile medical services to six townships, including Baengnyeong-myeon, making medical care available in all non-mainland island areas.
On May 21, Incheon City announced that the hospital ship 'Health Ongjinho', which was constructed last month with an investment of 12.6 billion won, will hold its inauguration ceremony next month and begin regular medical services in earnest.
Health Ongjinho is a 270-ton vessel, more than twice the size of the existing hospital ship 'Incheon 531' (108 tons), with a length of 47.2 meters. It can carry up to 44 people and travel at a maximum speed of 46 km/h.
Unlike Incheon 531, which mainly served nine island areas in three townships (Deokjeok, Jawol, and Yeonpyeong-myeon) of Ongjin County that lack medical institutions, the service area of 'Health Ongjinho' has been expanded to 17 islands in six townships by adding Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Bukdo-myeon. As a result, hospital ship services are now available in all non-mainland island regions of Incheon.
Prior to its official launch next month, Health Ongjinho conducted temporary mobile clinics for residents of Baengnyeong-myeon and Daecheong-myeon on May 20 and 21. In particular, Baengnyeongdo, which could not be reached by the aging previous hospital ship due to its distance, received hospital ship medical services for the first time on this occasion.
Health Ongjinho is staffed by seven people, including three public health doctors, and plans to provide mobile medical services 44 times a year, totaling 132 days. Previously, only internal medicine, Korean medicine, and dental care were available, but with the addition of a physical therapy room, clinical pathology lab, and health education room, a wider range of services such as vaccinations, bone density tests, X-rays, blood tests, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based cardiac diagnostics can now be provided.
In particular, the AI cardiac diagnostic equipment analyzes subtle signals embedded in 10 seconds of normal sinus rhythm (ECG) using AI to assess the patient’s heart health, enabling early detection and prediction of heart disease. The results are first interpreted by the public health center’s internal medicine department, and if any abnormalities are found, patients will be referred to a cardiologist at Inha University Hospital.
The new hospital ship will also promote health improvement programs, a mobile smoking cessation clinic, oral health education, and mental health and dementia prevention initiatives. The city plans to offer a variety of medical services by utilizing the hospital ship’s medical equipment in collaboration with local clinics, private hospitals, and volunteer medical organizations staffed by specialists.
An Incheon City official stated, "Health Ongjinho will not be just a hospital ship, but will serve as a 'mobile public health hub,'" adding, "We will continue to provide ongoing support to medically underserved areas."
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