Gyeongnam Province to Establish Regional Integrated Medical Belt Centered on National University Hospitals

Strengthening Public Health Care Centered on Jinju Gyeongsang National University, Changwon Gyeongsang National University, and Yangsan Pusan National University Hospitals

On the 16th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time in three days, medical staff were busy moving around at a temporary screening clinic set up in front of Exit 6 of Samseong Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on that day, there were 1,024 new domestic COVID-19 cases. This is the largest number since the first COVID-19 patient was reported in the country on January 20. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] Gyeongsangnam-do is establishing a 'Regional Integrated Medical Belt' centered on three national university hospitals in the province.

On the 17th, Gyeongnam Province announced that it will establish a regional integrated medical belt divided into three regions?western, central, and eastern?centered on Jinju Gyeongsang National University, Changwon Gyeongsang National University, and Yangsan Pusan National University.

The province made this decision to reduce health disparities between regions and strengthen the provision of essential medical services.

On the same day, the province held the first working-level meeting of the Gyeongnam Public Health and Medical Committee to share this direction for public health and medical care.

The committee serves as the highest decision-making body for the Regional Integrated Medical Belt Promotion Group, responsible for prioritizing essential medical issues and project execution. It also supports the operation of the promotion group by placing a secretariat within the provincial Public Health and Medical Support Group.

Early next year, the province plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on essential medical cooperation with the three major national university hospitals and officially launch the operation of the Regional Integrated Medical Belt, a Gyeongnam-type public health and medical cooperation system project.

At the three regional units, the plan includes establishing a rapid emergency transport system, building infectious disease response and cooperation systems, linking discharged patients to the local community, and further strengthening primary medical care services such as health prevention and management for vulnerable groups.

Yang Eunju, head of the Health Administration Division of the province, said, "We will closely build a cooperative system among related organizations and actively reflect the opinions presented by each institution in the project implementation process."

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