Andong Hospital to Open Hospice and Palliative Care Ward

"Realizing Dignified Care
From the Beginning to the End of Life"

Andong Hospital, operated by the Gyeongbuk Andong Medical Foundation, will open its Hospice and Palliative Care Center ward on the sixth floor of its newly constructed annex on September 15.

A groundbreaking ceremony is being held to realize dignified care from the beginning to the end of life.

With this opening, Andong Hospital has established a comprehensive, lifelong care system from birth to end-of-life, further strengthening its status as a leading medical institution in the region.

◆ Largest Capacity in Northern Gyeongbuk: 18 Beds

The hospice and palliative care ward features a total of 18 beds, including four four-person rooms and two single rooms (for general and end-of-life care). In addition, the ward is equipped with various auxiliary spaces such as therapy rooms, counseling rooms, and a prayer room for patients and their families, enabling a multidisciplinary professional team to provide inpatient hospice care.

Two board-certified hematology and oncology specialists are stationed full-time, delivering professional and systematic medical services, which sets the ward apart from others.

Director Jung Jaeheon stated, "Ensuring quality of life at the end stage is an essential task in an aging society," and added, "We will do our utmost to help patients and their families maintain dignity and peace."

◆ Voluntary Opening to Ensure a Dignified End of Life

This opening is particularly significant as the hospital voluntarily initiated it, even though it was not required by law, making it a symbolic achievement in strengthening public healthcare in the region. Based on the "Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment," the center will focus on actively managing the pain and symptoms of terminally ill patients and alleviating the psychological and social distress experienced by patients and their families, with an emphasis on improving quality of life.

By expanding the previously insufficient number of hospice beds in the region, Andong Hospital enables more patients to receive specialized care and experience a dignified end of life.

◆ Full-Scale Process for Official Designation as a Specialized Institution

The hospital plans to stabilize its system through a six-month pilot operation, and then proceed with reviews by the National Hospice Center and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to become an officially designated hospice specialist institution.

Chairman Kang Sinhong emphasized, "The opening of this hospice ward is a concrete realization of Andong Hospital's promise to take responsibility for the health and lives of local residents from beginning to end," and added, "We will provide the best possible care so that patients can maintain their dignity as human beings until the very end."

The opening of Andong Hospital's hospice and palliative care ward represents more than just an expansion of facilities; it marks a qualitative leap in regional healthcare. By providing dignified care for terminally ill patients and their families, Andong Hospital is expected to further strengthen the trust of the local community.

Andong Hospital Opens Hospice and Palliative Care Ward. Group Photo