Gangwon Province Embarks on Becoming an 'Advanced Medical City' with Heavy Ion Accelerator Cancer Treatment Center

Samcheok Medical Center Reborn as a "Cutting-Edge Public Hospital"
Normal Operations Begin on April 7 with 250 Beds
Expanded Services with 18 Medical Departments

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) held the 'Samcheok Medical Center Relocation and New Construction Completion Ceremony' on April 1, announcing a new beginning for the key public hospital serving the southeastern region of Gangwon.

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) held the "Samcheok Medical Center Relocation and New Construction Completion Ceremony" on the 1st in the lobby on the first floor of the newly constructed medical center. Provided by Gangwon Province

The event was attended by Governor Kim Jin-tae, National Assemblyman Lee Cheol-gyu (representing Donghae, Taebaek, Samcheok, and Jeongseon), Kim Si-seong, Chairman of the Gangwon Provincial Council, Park Sang-su, Mayor of Samcheok, university hospital directors, medical center directors, officials from the National Medical Center and Korea Health Industry Development Institute, representatives of the construction company, as well as more than 150 heads of relevant organizations from within and outside the province and local residents to celebrate the completion.

The new Samcheok Medical Center was completed in approximately 2 years and 6 months after construction began in August 2023. The facility consists of one basement floor and five above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 27,548 square meters. The total project cost was 82.5 billion won, and the center now features parking for 280 vehicles and a modern funeral hall with five viewing rooms, greatly enhancing user convenience.

The number of inpatient beds has been expanded from the previous 148 to 250, alleviating the inconvenience of inpatient waiting. The number of medical departments will also be gradually increased from 13 to 18, establishing a comprehensive hospital-level care system.

In particular, the center has added a rehabilitation medical center (30 beds) and a hospice palliative care center (10 beds) to meet high local demand, and expanded the dialysis unit to 27 beds, thereby strengthening the facility's capability in chronic disease management.

Additionally, the center has secured six negative pressure isolation beds, enabling it to serve as a local medical safety net even in future crisis situations such as outbreaks of new infectious diseases.

In his commemorative address, Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "Three years ago, we held the groundbreaking ceremony for Samcheok Medical Center, and today we celebrate its completion. Samcheok Medical Center is a meaningful example of having successfully completed the challenging process of new construction and relocation twice."

He added, "Going forward, this facility will be established as a major public hospital serving not only Samcheok, but also areas south of Gangneung, as well as Taebaek, Jeongseon, and northern Gyeongbuk. In addition, with the planned Samcheok Heavy Ion Accelerator Cancer Treatment Center, Samcheok will become a cutting-edge medical city."

After the completion ceremony, Governor Kim toured the medical center facilities with guests and local residents, inspecting the treatment and inpatient facilities to ensure that there will be no issues with the official opening of services on April 7.

Meanwhile, Samcheok Medical Center will conclude operations at the existing hospital by April 3, transfer patients and equipment from April 3 to 6, and officially begin providing services at the new center starting April 7.

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