"National Infectious Disease Hospital Likely to Drift Due to Ministry of Health and Welfare's Lack of Willingness"…Harsh Criticism from Subordinate Director

Jeong Gi-hyeon, Director of National Medical Center, Expresses Regret at Meeting
"Only Plans Made Without Action... Investment and Execution Not Supported"

Jung Ki-hyun, Director of the National Medical Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] "(The issue of rebuilding and relocating the National Medical Center) has been ongoing for 18 years, and the biggest problem is whether the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the project owner, has the will and the capability to implement it. The longer the delay, the more likely it is to drift off course."

Jung Ki-hyun, director of the National Medical Center, an affiliate of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, openly criticized the government. He pointed out that the government is passively handling the relocation and reconstruction of the National Medical Center and is also responding complacently to strengthening the public healthcare system. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened public health awareness more than ever before, the government’s lack of investment and execution support could render these efforts meaningless.

At the 62nd anniversary meeting of the National Medical Center held on the 24th, Director Jung said, "After the MERS outbreak in 2016, we were designated as the central infectious disease hospital in 2017 and were supposed to fulfill that role, but there was no material or institutional support. Whenever a crisis occurred, the National Medical Center took the lead and acted first, and only then did the government respond with official documents repeatedly."

He also expressed regret that the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the actual project owner, has not taken an active role in the ongoing reconstruction and relocation of the National Medical Center. Previously, the government announced plans in 2003 to establish the National Medical Center and relocate it to Wonji-dong, Seocho-gu. Although related measures were prepared and several memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed among relevant institutions, the project stalled due to local opposition. Eventually, this year, the plan was completely changed to relocate to a site in Bangsan-dong, Jung-gu.

Deputy Minister Kang Do-tae of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Jeong Ki-hyun, Director of the National Medical Center, and Seo Yang-ho, Mayor of Jung-gu, along with other guests, are inspecting the interior of the building after the completion ceremony of the emergency treatment beds for critically ill patients (negative pressure isolation ward) at the National Medical Center (Central Infectious Disease Hospital) in Seoul on the 19th of last month. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

National Medical Center Reconstruction and Relocation Stalled for 18 Years
New Site Changed from Wonji-dong to Bangsan-dong Due to COVID-19 This Year
"Site Return by Year-End, Construction to Start in 2022, Completion Targeted for 2024"

This site is adjacent to the current National Medical Center and was formerly used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers but is now an empty lot after their withdrawal. Since ownership issues are involved, it should have been handled by central government agencies such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare or the Ministry of National Defense, but the project was pushed forward only after former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon made a sudden proposal in April. Ko Im-seok, deputy director of medical services at the National Medical Center, in charge of the reconstruction and relocation project, said, "We plan to complete the site return by the end of this year and simultaneously proceed with environmental cleanup and cultural heritage investigations. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2022 with a goal of completion in 2024."

Despite holding the title of the central infectious disease hospital, the National Medical Center has been responding to the COVID-19 crisis on the front lines without having a dedicated ward. The recently established 30-bed negative pressure isolation ward was hastily built in a modular form. While directly treating COVID-19 patients, the center also led the preparation of guidelines for medical staff nationwide through the Central Clinical Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Oh Myung-don, chairman of the Central Clinical Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and professor of infectious diseases at Seoul National University College of Medicine, said, "Korean healthcare is gaining global attention for its COVID-19 response, but the National Medical Center building remains small and powerless as it was when established in 1958. The national infectious disease hospital exists only on paper as a government administrative entity, but there is no actual hospital."

He added, "In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the center must serve as a control tower by setting standards necessary for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, and by conducting clinical trials quickly and accurately. The role of the National Medical Center is more important than ever."

Citizens waiting to be tested at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. The National Medical Center has been designated as the central infectious disease hospital and is comprehensively responding to COVID-19 diagnosis, patient care, and guideline development. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

New National Medical Center to Include Central Infectious Disease and Trauma Centers
"Seoul Regional Trauma Center Should Be Designated Early to Accumulate Clinical Experience"

According to the National Medical Center, the new facility will expand from the current 496 beds to about 600 beds, modernizing the center while separately establishing a central infectious disease hospital (100 beds) and a central trauma center (100 beds). Evaluation results indicate that the current site is expensive, so the additional budget required for the project is expected to be around 30 billion KRW, which is not substantial. Seoul is the only region nationwide without a regional trauma center, and there are calls to designate one before the reconstruction and relocation to accumulate clinical experience and operational know-how.

Kim Young-hwan, head of the National Medical Center Trauma Center, said, "Considering that helicopter transfers are almost nonexistent except for mountain accidents and are ineffective, the lack of a helipad should not be a reason to delay designating Seoul as a regional trauma center. Saying 'let’s start after relocation' is essentially saying 'let’s not do it.' We need to designate Seoul as a regional trauma center first and prepare to operate the National Central Trauma Center."

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