Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Dispatches COVID-19 Response Medical Team to Iraq Construction Site

Donggun Lee, Head of Infection Control Office, "On-site Quarantine and Medical System Inspection"

Park Seongbung, Executive Director of Hyundai Engineering & Construction (left in the photo), Lee Donggeon, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and nurse Kang Jaejin are taking a commemorative photo at the airport on the 20th before departing for Iraq.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital dispatched medical staff to the site of a Korean company in Iraq on the 20th. Due to concerns about the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), remote consultations had been conducted for Korean workers on site, but this was done to provide more attentive care.

Lee Dong-geon, head of the Infection Control Office at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and the dispatch representative, said, "We will closely monitor the health of our workers overseas and promote their psychological stability," adding, "We will cooperate well to ensure a safe working environment and inspect the medical system."

The team led by Professor Lee is heading to the Hyundai Engineering & Construction site in Iraq. This is the first time this year that a medical team has been dispatched locally to protect the health and safety of overseas workers amid the COVID-19 situation. Previously, St. Mary's Hospital, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, and Puzzle AI have been operating a remote health consultation service since July to assist Hyundai Engineering & Construction and its partner company employees staying abroad. So far, about 100 people have received consultations to help with psychological stability, COVID-19 prevention education, and guidance on how to respond if infected.

Recently, concerns have grown as the spread of COVID-19 has intensified worldwide, including in Iraq. As calls arose for sending domestic medical staff directly for consultations and safety education, the hospital and company decided to dispatch medical personnel. They plan to inspect the quarantine and medical systems at the worksite, conduct training for on-site clinic medical staff, provide medical treatment, and offer consultations. Additionally, they will meet with local hospital management to establish a system for infection diagnosis and cooperation with local doctors.

Kim Yong-sik, director of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, said, "We have smoothly conducted remote consultations for overseas Korean residents and workers in medical blind spots using accumulated telemedicine and artificial intelligence technology," adding, "Expanding online cooperation to offline will enhance the status of our medical services, which prioritize respect for life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.