“Comprehensive Secondary General Hospitals: The Central Pillar of Regionally Complete Essential Healthcare”
Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong visited Andong Hospital, the key medical hub in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do, to review measures for strengthening essential local healthcare services.
This visit was an opportunity to directly inspect 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, operated by the Andong Medical Foundation, announced that on December 19, Minister Jeong visited the hospital to examine the current state of operations as a comprehensive secondary general hospital and held 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 the core medical institution responsible for the final treatment of severe and emergency patients in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Currently, Andong Hospital operates with approximately 1,800 beds and around 2,000 employees. It is equipped with essential medical infrastructure, including a regional emergency medical center, a regional trauma center, a regional cardio-cerebrovascular disease center, and even an emergency medical helicopter (doctor helicopter).
This is why Andong Hospital is regarded as the central pillar of a “regionally complete healthcare system” in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do, where access to medical services is relatively limited.
The roundtable was attended by Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong, officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Andong Mayor Kwon Ki-chang, Director of Welfare and Health Kim Hoseop, Chairman of Andong Medical Foundation Kang Boyoung, Hospital Director Kim Geon-young, and the heads of each regional center. They shared the difficulties faced in the local medical field and discussed tasks for institutional improvement.
Minister Jeong stated, “Andong Hospital’s role in maintaining essential medical services such as trauma, obstetrics, and pediatrics, regardless of profitability, is extremely important. As the core of local living conditions is healthcare, we will systematically strengthen the functions of comprehensive secondary general hospitals to reinforce essential local healthcare, which is a national policy priority.”
Andong Hospital explained the structural challenges experienced on the ground, such as difficulties in securing medical personnel and the need to enhance supporting treatment capabilities. The hospital requested policy support to stably foster regional general hospitals with comprehensive treatment capabilities.
In response, Minister Jeong 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 Jeong toured the regional emergency medical center, trauma center, cardio-cerebrovascular disease center, and the doctor helicopter helipad, encouraging the medical staff.
Chairman Kang Sin-hong stated, “The Minister’s visit is a great encouragement to the local medical field. We will do our best to ensure that Andong Hospital becomes the leading model for regionally complete essential healthcare, in line with government policy.”
Going forward, Andong Hospital plans to further advance its regionally complete treatment system centered on essential healthcare, continuously expand its medical workforce and supporting treatment capabilities, and further strengthen its role as the final treatment hub for severe and emergency patients in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do.
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