"If Energy Supply Falters, Hospitals Are Most at Risk"... Medical Innovation Committee Forum

Public Forum Hosted by the Future Environment Response Expert Committee

On May 7, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a policy discussion session, organized by the Future Environment Response Expert Committee under the Medical Innovation Committee, on "Decarbonization Measures in the Healthcare Sector for Energy Security," and began drafting related mid- to long-term policy recommendations.

Policy Debate Poster. Ministry of Health and Welfare

The expert committee conducted the event as a public forum on this day. Professor Kang Jeonggyu of Cheongju University and Kim Hyeki, Senior Researcher at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, delivered the keynote presentations. Kim Seokman, Team Leader at Korea University Medical Center, Professor Kim Gwangjeom of the Catholic University of Korea, and members of the expert committee participated in the discussion.

Professor Kang pointed out that, given the characteristics of medical institutions with high energy and water consumption as well as significant greenhouse gas emissions, managing energy use and emissions is a critical task. He emphasized that the government should establish a measurement system to evaluate and compare environmental sustainability, and that hospitals should adopt eco-friendly systems. As solutions, he proposed setting national carbon emission targets for the healthcare sector, promoting energy efficiency and decarbonization policies in hospitals, and improving the structure of medical treatment and healthcare utilization, including strengthening primary care.

Senior Researcher Kim highlighted that, due to the unique nature of hospitals, which operate continuously and house high-power medical equipment, hospitals become the most vulnerable facilities in the event of unstable energy supply. She stressed that hospitals must implement energy efficiency measures such as "green remodeling," and that energy sources requiring conversion should be switched to alternative fuels.

Previously, in its second meeting, the expert committee determined that the supply of pharmaceuticals and medical products could be disrupted as a result of the Middle East conflict. In response, the committee discussed decarbonization measures in the healthcare sector—including strategies for reducing energy consumption in medical institutions and facilities—and decided to formulate mid- to long-term policy recommendations.

At the third meeting, the committee discussed topics such as "Building a Healthcare System in the Era of Climate Crisis" (presentation by Committee Member Ko Sangbaek) and "Major Trends in Korea's Health Governance in Line with Global Standards" (presentation by Visiting Professor Kim Rokho of Yonsei University). The need to strengthen individuals' social safety nets to respond to climate change was raised, along with the broader necessity for a comprehensive societal response.

The expert committee plans to submit the mid- to long-term policy recommendations, based on previous discussions and expert consultations, to the Medical Innovation Committee by the end of May 2026.

Kim Jinhyun, Chair of the Future Environment Response Expert Committee, stated, "Because the healthcare sector is a high carbon energy-consuming field that requires 24-hour operation, it is vulnerable to external energy shocks such as those caused by conflicts in the Middle East. We will prepare recommendations that not only address energy crisis response, but also enable active responses to climate change."

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