KOICA Supports Capacity Building at Uzbekistan National Children's Hospital... Opening of Training and Education Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA has established a training center within the National Children's Hospital in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, to strengthen the pediatric medical workforce, and held an opening ceremony on the 23rd (local time).

The National Children's Hospital project in Uzbekistan is a tied aid project in which domestic development cooperation agencies participate as 'Team Korea.' Korea will transfer excellent pediatric disease diagnosis and treatment capabilities to Uzbekistan, enabling the provision of high-quality medical services at Korean standards locally.

The EDCF (Export-Import Bank), responsible for concessional loans, handles hospital construction, equipment supply, and workforce training; KOFIH (Korea Foundation for International Healthcare) is in charge of hospital operation consulting; and KOICA is responsible for strengthening the medical workforce's capabilities.

Through Team Korea's collaboration, the National Children's Hospital opened and began operations in October this year. KOICA's project includes △establishing a training center equipped with state-of-the-art medical simulation devices, △developing a master plan to enhance pediatric clinical capabilities, △inviting medical staff to Korea for training, and △dispatching pediatric specialists and other experts for on-site education. Notably, the newly completed training facility enables advanced clinical skill instruction, presenting new possibilities and models not only for the children's hospital but also for Uzbekistan's healthcare system.

The opening ceremony held at the National Children's Hospital Training Center was attended remotely (online) by Ambassador Kang Jae-kwon to Uzbekistan, Baek Sook-hee, Director of KOICA's Africa, Middle East, and Latin America Headquarters, and Kim Han-seok, Director of Seoul National University Children's Hospital. On-site attendees included Park Soon-jin, Head of KOICA Uzbekistan Office, Elmira Bashitanova, Deputy Minister of Health of Uzbekistan, and Zafarov Murod, Director of the Children's Hospital.

At the ceremony, KOICA's National Children's Hospital project and the cooperative COVID-19 emergency response program's achievements were shared, and treatment practice sessions for nurses at the National Children's Hospital were conducted. This reaffirmed the significance of opening the training center and the importance of cultivating clinical medical personnel.

At the opening ceremony, Ambassador Kang Jae-kwon to Uzbekistan stated, "The training center supported by KOICA is significant as it lays the foundation for Uzbekistan to become the leading medical hub in Central Asia by nurturing the next generation of medical professionals."

Baek Sook-hee, Director of KOICA's Africa, Middle East, and Latin America Headquarters, said, "Strengthening the capabilities of healthcare personnel, especially clinical medical staff including doctors and nurses, is the most direct asset needed in the post-COVID era. Through the training of medical personnel at the children's hospital, we hope that Korea's experience and knowledge in healthcare will be fully conveyed to the Uzbekistan government."

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