Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong Visits Andong Hospital to Inspect Local Healthcare Services

“Comprehensive Secondary General Hospitals: The Central Pillar of Regionally Complete Essential Healthcare”

Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Eun-kyung visited Andong Hospital, a key medical hub in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do, to review strategies for strengthening essential regional healthcare services.

This visit served as an opportunity for the minister to directly check the on-site implementation of the government’s “Comprehensive Secondary General Hospital Support Project” and to share policy directions aimed at enhancing the sustainability of the regional healthcare system.

Andong Hospital doctor helicopter is taking off.

Andong Hospital, part of the Andong Medical Foundation, announced that Minister Chung visited the hospital on December 19 to examine the operation status of the comprehensive secondary general hospital and to hold a roundtable discussion with medical staff and related officials.

Since being designated as a comprehensive secondary general hospital in July, Andong Hospital has served as a core medical institution responsible for the final treatment of critical and emergency patients in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Currently, Andong Hospital operates with approximately 1,800 beds and over 2,000 employees. It is equipped with essential medical infrastructure, including a regional emergency medical center, a regional trauma center, a regional cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease center, and even operates a dedicated emergency medical helicopter (doctor helicopter).

This is why Andong Hospital is recognized as the central pillar of a “regionally self-sufficient healthcare system” in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do, where access to medical care is relatively limited.

The roundtable was attended by Minister Chung Eun-kyung, officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Andong Mayor Kwon Ki-chang, Director of Welfare and Health Kim Ho-seop, Chairman of Andong Medical Foundation Kang Bo-young, Hospital Director Kim Gun-young, and the heads of each regional center. They shared challenges faced in the local healthcare field and discussed areas for institutional improvement.

Minister Chung stated, “The role of Andong Hospital in maintaining essential medical services such as trauma, obstetrics, and pediatrics, regardless of profitability, is extremely important. Since the core of local settlement conditions is healthcare professionals, we will systematically strengthen the functions of comprehensive secondary general hospitals to fulfill the national agenda of reinforcing essential regional healthcare.”

Andong Hospital explained the structural challenges it experiences on the ground, such as difficulties in securing medical personnel and the need to expand its capacity for backup care. The hospital requested policy support to foster regional general hospitals with comprehensive treatment capabilities in a stable manner.

In response, Minister Chung said, “We will thoroughly review the voices from the field and spare no institutional support to ensure that capable regional hospitals can continue to operate sustainably.”

After the roundtable, Minister Chung toured the regional emergency medical center, trauma center, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease center, and the doctor helicopter helipad, encouraging the medical staff at each site.

Chairman Kang Shin-hong stated, “The minister’s visit is a great encouragement to the local healthcare field. We will do our utmost to ensure that Andong Hospital becomes a leading model of regionally self-sufficient essential healthcare in line with government policy.”

Going forward, Andong Hospital plans to further advance its regionally self-sufficient treatment system centered on essential healthcare, continuously expand its medical workforce and backup care capacity, and strengthen its role as the final treatment hub for critical and emergency patients in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do.