Next Growth Engine of Incheon City

Incheon City is nurturing its medical tourism sector as one of its future growth drivers for job creation and regional economic revitalization, building on its advantageous geographical location. “In the future, Korea’s efforts for high added value creation will be led by the bio-technology and medical sectors,” said Incheon City mayor Song Yeong-gil, adding, “We are anticipating that the growth of medical tourism in our city will be a great boon to creating jobs and added value and precious momentum for the regional economy.”

To that end, the city has established a medical tourism foundation, backing up the attraction of foreign patients and creation of efficient industrial networks. The endeavor to turn itself into a hub of medical tourism in Northeast Asia is drawing the world’s attention.

Economic Effects Estimated at 100 Billion Won Until 2014

One of the most remarkable accomplishments the city has made in this aspect is the inauguration of the IMTF (Incheon Medical Tourism Foundation). The opening ceremony was held on August 29 at the Songdo Get-Pearl Tower. It is the first of its kind across the nation, and its working-level staff include marketing experts covering Russia, Japan and English-speaking regions.

The foundation has the ambitious plan of transforming the city into the linchpin of global medical tourism by capitalizing on the 2014 Asian Games, the Incheon Port and Incheon/Seoul International Airport where over 40 million people pass through each year. Every single employee of the organization is providing foreign medical tourists with top-notch services to attain the goal. The IMTF aims to step up activities by developing and commercializing specialized medical technologies, opening up the Russian, Chinese, Vie-tnamese and Japanese markets through strategic marketing, training medical coordinators for the benefit of multicultural families and setting the stage for joint projects between affiliated medical institutions and itself.

“As seen in the examples of Inc-heon/Seoul International Airport and the IFEZ (Incheon Free Economic Zone), this region is perfect in terms of geographical location to be a magnet for medical tourists,” said the mayor at the ceremony, adding, “I hope that the foundation will spearhead the city’s drive to house the world’s finest medical and medical tourism industries.”

Incheon is aiming to attract 30,000 foreign patients by 2014, and generating an annual economic effect worth 100 billion won. For the purpose, it has set up medical tourism networks with 32 of its sister cities in 21 countries, with a total of 69 institutions registered at the foundation as medical service providers for non-Koreans, including 2 tertiary hospitals, 8 general hospitals and 14 clinics. The institutions are carrying out medical checkups utilizing cutting-edge equipment, such as the Novalis Tx and 128-channel dual MDCT (Multi-detector Computed Tomography), as well as showing off their excellence in fields such as ophthalmology, spinal medicine, cancer treatment, plastic surgery and Oriental medicine. Furthermore, major corporations scheduled to move to the city are expected to create some synergy down the road. These include Samsung Bio-Logics, DongA Pharmaceutical, Crucell and Celltrion.

Inha University Hospital Recognized as Global-standard Medical Institu-tion

Inha University Hospital, one of two tertiary facilities affiliated with the IMTF, is currently running 11 specialized care centers and 34 clinical departments. Established in 1996, it is one of Korea’s leading research-centered hospitals, boasting advanced infrastructure for clinical studies and tests, efficacy assessment on digestive medicine, allergy treatment and environmental health promotions, and research into sexual medicine, stem cells and senile dementia.

Located close to both Incheon/Seoul International Airport and Incheon Port, it is located in the middle of the IFEZ. In other words, it fully benefits from three type of infrastructure; air and marine transport and information technology. Furthermore, the Incheon Grand Bridge has substantially improved accessibility since it opened in October 2009.

The hospital belongs to Hanjin Group, whose strengths in the air transportation and tourism sectors have played a great role in the institution’s competitiveness. Back in July last year, it obtained certification from the Joint Commission Interna-tional, becoming the first hospital in Korea to have all its medical centers decorated with international certificates.

Nowadays, Inha University Hospital is running familiarization tour programs in the United States, Russia, China and many other countries. At the same time, it is assisting non-Korean medical personnel via on-site training and volunteer work in Haiti, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Uganda, etc. In addition, it is also managing an international healthcare center in Qingdao, China, on commission. As a result, the organization is taking the lead in Korean medical institutions’ efforts for overseas market exploration.

Meanwhile, it opened the International Healthcare Center in 2009 for the comfort and convenience of foreign patients. Meals reflecting the culinary characteristics of foreign nations are available, not to mention diagnosis and treatment allowing for various cultural traits. Continuous medical care is also assured even after a patient returns to their country since the treatment log is translated into their language and given to the patient. Full-time coordinators are ready around the clock to help customers deal with administrative difficulties and language problems. The head of the center, Dr. Park Heung-jae, has 20 years of experience in the medical profession in America.

At present, Inha University Hospital is working on another medical center in the International Business District of Inc-heon/Seoul International Airport. Scheduled for completion next year, the Yeongjong Medical Center will have eight stories above ground and two stories under ground. The facility, built on a 6,146m2-wide site, is the first foreigner-only medical institution in Korea, and located just five-minutes drive from the airport.

World-class medical personnel and high-tech equipment will render top-quality services in cosmetic surgery, personalized checkups, dental bleaching, dental implantation, Oriental medicine and pain therapy. Patients can use his or her own space for privacy protection during treatment processes, while all administration work will strictly adhere to global standards.

Asia’s only Brain Science Center at Gachon University Gil Hospital

Gachon University Gil Hospital started in early 80’s as independent medical center as an obstetrics and gynecology hospital. It has since grown into a General Hospital with specialized facilities for the heart, brain, eye & ENT, dental, women as well as an emergency center designated for the Incheon west coast region.

Furthermore, the Hospital has carried its role as a gateway in collecting and applying medical achievements both home and abroad by hosting int’l conferences such as cardiovascular symposiums, brain & spinal nerve endoscope workshop and alternative & complementary medicine seminars based on its medical achievements.

Its Emergency Center is equipped with an advanced care system with neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and pediatricians as well as emergency medicine specialists.

Alongside its high reputation of advanced professional medical teams, the Heart Center is widely known to public for offering free heart screening services throughout the whole country every year. Opened in 1995, it succeeded in transplanting both heart and lung for the first time in Asia and have successfully applied high technologies to various challenging operations: high-speed rotating arthrectomy, heart transplant, cardiomyoplasty, and heart ventricular remodeling.

Also, its Women’s Center which was Korea’s first hospital to specialize in women’s health has been contributing to patient care and prevention relating to gynecologic diseases and cancer by annually offering free cervical cancer screening services for women since 1959.

In addition, in order to preserve life of patients under critical conditions, the Center introduces and operates an advanced system such as PACS, Tele-medicine and Short & Fast Track System to implement shortest space movement and prompt first aid.

Moreover, the Hospital operates GRC to establish close cooperative relations with other hospitals in the country and R&D to provide alternative and complementary medicine treatments like therapeutic action, naturopathic medicine from Europe, and modern medicine such as homeopathy.

Gachon University Gil Hospital has been constantly putting its utmost efforts to implement a digital hospital. Starting with its establishment of CALS (Comm-erce At Light Speed) System in 1991, it is completely equipped with PACS and Telemedicine System gaining a firm foothold on providing state of the art facilities to its patients. Most recently, in addition to providing all Internet access and SMS of Gil Hospital, it has equipped itself with advanced latest medical equipments including 3D angiography systems such as AXIOM and ESWL using magnetic field. The Gachon Brain Health Center, world’s first examination and treatment center specialized in the brain and Asia’s only brain science center, is equipped with the ‘7.0T MRI’ for “reading the brain as reading the palm of the hand”. Its Cancer Center which is a government-designated cancer center is equipped with Novalis Tx, the world’s best radiation equipment with accuracy of irradiation down to 2.5, and various high-tech devices for accurate diagnosis as well as treatment as the Hospital strives to be the world’s best Ubiquitous hospital not to mention its efforts in enabling the hospital to accept patients without requiring any deposit in advance.

Incheon Sarang General Hospital Vouched for by Health & Welfare Ministry

Incheon Sarang Hospital, another partner of the IMTF, is a general hospital of middle standing that is commemorating its 13th anniversary this year. In particular, it increased the number of beds to no less than 350 two years ago, as well as scouting well-known medical teams and introducing the latest equipment. As of now, the number of outpatients totals 300,000 a year. It has also won the highest spot in government assessments during this period.

“All of this was possible as we didn’t balk at the experimental attempts our peers didn’t dare to do under the slogan ‘New Model of District General Hospital, Test Bed of Medical Cultural Reform and Community for the Dream of Better and Healthier Life,’” said director Kim Tae-wan. He added, “We will keep striving to further refine our group works and guarantee a transparent administration and our patients’ rights to know so that we can remain a responsible social member that puts patients first. This way, we will increase our competitiveness as a polyclinic not just domestically but also in the global arena, improving ourselves both quantitatively and qualitatively.”

As part of its corporate social responsibility program, Incheon Sarang Hospital is committed to caring for single senior citizens and the underprivileged. The Sarang Sharing Fund, raised by its employee volunteer group of the same name, has been used for various noble causes in the local community since September 2008. For example, employees have delivered coal briquettes to beneficiaries in winter, offered free medical services to traffic accident victims and immigrant workers, donated vehicles to the Incheon Foster Care Center and visited Nepal to donate outreach packages.

On November 1, the hospital obtained a healthcare accreditation certification from the Health & Welfare Ministry, the first among Incheon-based general hospitals, thus proving its excellence in service quality and patient protection once again. In the process, the government itself evaluates institutions’ medical and patient care services by applying international criteria. The grade list contains 404 items, including the protection of patients and their rights, activities to improve service quality, medical treatment process and performance assessment systems, organizational and staff management, and customer satisfaction.

The acquisition of the certification, which is a prerequisite for being designated a tertiary institution, allows the hospital to use the national certification mark for four years and provides it with diverse administrative and financial support when it joins public medical and healthcare projects. “I believe that the accreditation is a sort of official commendation for our efforts to better serve our customers and confirmation of the fact that we are a leading general hospital in Incheon City,” remarked the director.

During a 2009 appraisal, Incheon Sarang Hospital also snatched top position, beating 125 other polyclinics nationwide. The evaluation was conducted on general hospitals with less than 260 beds and district hospitals with 300 or more beds. At that time, it was the only competitor to receive the top grade in two assessment categories.