National Medical Center Alumni Association: "Measures Undermining the Century-Long Plan for Public Healthcare... New Construction and Relocation Must Not Be Reduced"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Voices condemning the significant reduction in the scale of the National Medical Center's new construction and relocation project continue to rise. This is because it is seen as a misguided policy that abandoned the enhancement of the functions and roles of the national public medical control tower due to economic logic.

The National Medical Center Alumni Association issued a statement on the 16th, saying, "We strongly condemn the plan to reduce the scale of the National Medical Center's new construction and relocation project, which destroys the century-long foundation of public healthcare."

Photo by National Medical Center archive.

The Alumni Association stated, "The National Medical Center's new construction and relocation project was a blueprint materialized with the government's will to build a world-class infectious disease hospital, especially to develop the main hospital as the central hub for essential critical care and a tertiary public hospital, following public health crises such as MERS and COVID-19. Reducing the project scale significantly by adjusting the total project cost just before implementation is a regrettable decision driven solely by economic logic," they criticized.

They continued, "To establish a world-class infectious disease hospital and main hospital that serve as the central hub for essential critical care and as a tertiary hospital for regional public hospitals, it is necessary to secure 800 beds at the main hospital, 150 beds at the central infectious disease hospital, and more than 100 beds at the central trauma center." "In particular, the significant reduction in the number of beds at the main hospital following the total project cost adjustment review is a surrender of the government's previously asserted enhancement of the national public medical control tower's functions and roles, and it undermines the morale and pride of the National Medical Center family and alumni who have steadfastly fulfilled their duties despite difficult circumstances," they pointed out. Furthermore, the Alumni Association urged the withdrawal of the total project cost adjustment negotiation results and the securing of beds as originally planned.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance recently notified the result of the total project cost adjustment for the National Medical Center's new construction and relocation project, which was applied for by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Initially, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Medical Center requested a total of 1,050 beds, including 800 beds at the main hospital, 150 beds at the central infectious disease hospital, and 100 beds at the central trauma center. However, the Ministry of Economy and Finance deemed 760 beds appropriate, including 526 beds at the main hospital, 134 beds at the central infectious disease hospital, and 100 beds at the central trauma center, and reduced the project cost from 1.2341 trillion KRW to 1.1726 trillion KRW.

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