Samsung Family Heirs Request "Please Use Donations to Also Address Local 'Medical Gaps'"

Late Chairman Lee Kun-hee's 300 Billion Won Support
Urges Nationwide Plan for Treating Children with Rare Diseases

Photo by Seoul National University Children's Hospital

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee has donated 300 billion won to help children suffering from pediatric cancer and rare diseases, with a special request to "establish measures to ensure that pediatric patients nationwide receive treatment evenly."

According to the medical and business communities on the 10th, the family donated 300 billion won to Seoul National University Children's Hospital (photo) on the 28th of last month, designating Seoul National University Hospital as the channel for the donation. They requested that no 'medical gaps' occur in regions outside the metropolitan area among children with pediatric cancer and rare diseases.

Seoul National University Hospital Launches Pediatric Cancer and Rare Disease Overcoming Task Force with Participation from 45 Advanced Hospitals and 17 Children's Hospitals Nationwide

Considering the family's wishes, Seoul National University Hospital promptly launched the "Pediatric Cancer and Rare Disease Overcoming Task Force," involving 45 advanced hospitals and 17 children's hospitals nationwide. The task force is composed of an operating committee, evaluation committee, and working committee, with medical staff from Seoul National University and other hospitals participating evenly. Patients in greatest need will be selected and supported through a nationwide application process. The medical community expects that about 17,000 children nationwide, including approximately 12,000 pediatric cancer patients and 5,000 rare disease patients, will benefit from the donation by Chairman Lee's family.

The family decided to donate for pediatric cancer and rare disease patients to honor the late chairman's lifelong wish that "no socially vulnerable child should be denied treatment simply due to lack of money." Specifically, the donation includes ▲150 billion won to support 13 types of pediatric cancer patients such as leukemia and lymphoma, ▲60 billion won to support 14 types of pediatric rare disease patients including Crohn's disease, and ▲90 billion won to build infrastructure for clinical research and drug development for pediatric cancer and rare diseases.

Pediatric cancer and rare diseases are known to be costly to diagnose and treat, and due to insufficient infrastructure in domestic hospitals, a significant number of pediatric patients die from these illnesses. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, about 1,300 pediatric cancer patients are diagnosed annually in South Korea, with approximately 400 deaths each year. There are about 80,000 children nationwide suffering from rare diseases such as Crohn's disease, with around 200 deaths annually.

The situation in regional medical communities is particularly dire. Currently, most of the 45 advanced general hospitals nationwide have about 10 pediatric specialists each, but only about 30 general hospitals nationwide have even one specialist in pediatric cancer and rare diseases. Moreover, more than 22 of the advanced general hospitals are concentrated in the Seoul and Gyeonggi metropolitan areas. As a result, it is estimated by the medical community that many children in regional areas spend years without even receiving a diagnosis, moving from hospital to hospital while incurring huge costs, ultimately missing the treatment window and dying or suffering severe aftereffects.

Kim Han-seok, director of Seoul National University Children's Hospital (also serving as task force leader), said, "Because pediatric diseases are diverse but patient numbers are small, a cooperative system among children's medical institutions nationwide is necessary to improve medical quality. We expect the donation from Chairman Lee Kun-hee's family to serve as a catalyst for establishing such a system."

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