Health ministry says panel backs regional medical hubs

The health ministry said Thursday that a citizen panel concluded South Korea should guarantee essential medical services within local regions rather than relying on transfers to Seoul hospitals. The Medical Innovation Committee reviewed results from a deliberation involving 300 citizens held earlier this month, finding strong support for building capacity at regional hub hospitals.

About 60 percent of participants responded that minor illnesses, pediatric care during nights and holidays, 24-hour emergency treatment and childbirth should be guaranteed within their own city or county, while 52.9 percent said major surgeries for conditions like cancer should be covered within the province level.

When asked what would make them trust local hospitals over major Seoul facilities, 68.9 percent cited the skill and experience of medical staff as the most critical factor. The intention to use regional hub hospitals instead of capital-area giants rose to 89.6 percent after deliberation, up from 81.1 percent before the discussions began.

The committee received a report on a strategy to strengthen regional, essential and public healthcare, which includes designating 10 provincial national university hospitals as hub centers. The plan aims to elevate these facilities to the level of the five largest hospitals in Seoul while expanding 41 regional public hospitals.

Expectations that the policies would improve local medical environments rose to 89.8 percent after the deliberation process. Furthermore, the willingness to reside in non-metropolitan areas if local healthcare is sufficiently guaranteed jumped to 86.3 percent.

Jeong Gi-hyeon, chair of the Medical Innovation Committee, said the deliberation results provide a meaningful basis for reflecting diverse public opinions in future policy decisions. He added that the committee will continue to listen to citizens and pursue discussions on innovation tasks including regional and essential medical care.