'Comprehensive Hospital on the Sea, Construction of Chungnam 501 Hospital Ship Replacement Begins'

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province has begun constructing a replacement vessel for the hospital ship Chungnam 501.

On the 15th, the province held a kickoff briefing for the replacement construction of the "Hospital Ship Chungnam 501" at the provincial office. The Chungnam 501 was built in February 2001 and has been touring six cities/counties and 31 island areas until last year, taking care of the health of over 3,600 residents. The total number of medical consultations reached 9,338.

However, due to the aging of the Chungnam 501, decreased safety, and increasing ship repair costs, the replacement construction was initiated.

A budget of approximately 10 billion KRW will be invested in the replacement construction. Construction is scheduled to start by the end of this year, with completion targeted for early 2023.

The new hospital ship will be designed to suit the West Coast region, reflecting local characteristics such as shallow waters in island areas by equipping it with water jet propulsion.

Additionally, a physical therapy room and state-of-the-art bone density measurement equipment will be introduced to enhance user convenience.

The construction work will be undertaken by Dongil Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and the auditing agency will be Busan Ship Technology.

Kim Seok-pil, Director of the Low Birthrate and Health Welfare Office of the province, stated, "We will strive to build the optimal hospital ship to improve the health and ensure the safety of island residents."

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