Gyeongnam Province to Establish Western Gyeongnam Public Hospital by 2024 at the Earliest

Ministry of Health and Welfare Announces Expansion of Regional Public Hospitals as Part of 'Public Healthcare System Strengthening Plan'

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kang Sharon] Gyeongsangnam-do announced on the 15th that it will expedite the establishment of a public hospital in Western Gyeongnam by excluding it from the preliminary feasibility study through a resolution of the State Council in 2021 and aims to complete construction as early as 2024.

This decision follows the Ministry of Health and Welfare's announcement on the 13th to strengthen the public healthcare system by newly building or expanding about 20 regional public hospitals and increasing the number of beds to around 5,000 by 2025. Among the three newly planned sites (Jinju area in Gyeongnam, Eastern Daejeon area, and Western Busan area), the preliminary feasibility study exemption was approved through the State Council resolution.

To ensure smooth response to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s schedule for excluding the preliminary feasibility study, the province plans to complete site analysis and selection for the establishment candidate site in 2021, conduct feasibility and operational planning studies, and submit the project plan to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The decision on whether the Western Gyeongnam public hospital establishment will be excluded from the preliminary feasibility study is expected to be finalized by the end of next year at the earliest, following consultations between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Finance and deliberation by the State Council.

Subsequently, the project will proceed as a national fiscal project in 2022, undergoing local fiscal investment review and design competitions, with construction scheduled to be completed between 2023 and 2024.

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