Chonnam National University Hospital: Leaders of K-Medicine

By Qurratu 

Chonnam National University Hospital (CNUH) is the largest multi-hospital system in South Korea. CNUH has a total of five medical pillars which are Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Dental Hospital, Chonnam National University Bitgeoul Hospital, and Chonnam National University Children’s Hospital. There are numerous outstanding achievements attained by CNUH that can be listed. The proudest of all is that CNUH was granted a Grade A in every item of assessment of medical quality aimed at general hospitals by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2021. The Ministry of Education also recognized this ranking of Grade A in its management assessment and first place among national university hospitals. In line with its mission to contribute world-class medical treatment, CNUH now has a goal to thrive through K-Medicine by promoting medical tourism.   

Before getting into it, let us start by grasping what medical tourism is. “Medical tourism can be defined as the process of traveling outside the country of residence for the purpose of receiving medical care” (Meštrović 2023).¹ Medical tourism is surely a type of high-risk travel, as the quality and continuity of care, communication challenges, air travel, and much more need to be carefully considered. Consequently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) listed how we can lower medical tourism risks by checking clinician qualifications, getting pretravel consultations, bringing copies of medical records, and arranging for follow-up care beforehand.² Generally, most of the risks depend on the destination, the medical care facilities, and the traveler’s health condition for the procedure. Despite all those risks, why do people choose to get medical care abroad? Other than the aspect of cost-effectiveness, with medical tourism, patients get access to cutting-edge technology with first-rate healthcare in shorter waiting times. Not to mention, travelers also get to explore new destinations and enjoy a long vacation at the same time.  

The biggest strength for CNUH as your first-choice hospital is the affordable price with the finest service. As finance always plays a major part in one’s decision-making, worry not – the excellent consultations, treatment fees, and so on are more economical than expected. Equally important, CNUH also provides interpreting services (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.) for international outpatients. This is to ensure the patient has a pleasant stay with the hospital throughout the treatment. Besides, the minute you step into the lobby, the staff will provide a “First Visit Outpatient Service Guide” brochure. The patients are walked A to Z through all the information needed, from getting a ticket number to going home healthy. If the brochure is not to your liking, visit the Chonnam National University Hospital YouTube channel and you will get the video version of it! Lastly, CNUH is in a strategic area where everything you need is just one stone’s throw away. In terms of ease of visitation, CNUH has spacious parking lots, and easily accessible subway, shuttle buses, and public buses. CNUH even has a pick-up service from Incheon International Airport to Gwangju if the medical expenses exceed a certain amount. Very convenient, isn’t it? On top of that, hospital dormitories and fair accommodations are nearby, too!  

Not only based on CNUH’s excellent medical services, but also considering the city it is located in, Gwangju, another benefit is the low costs. Compared to other big cities in South Korea, the cost of living in Gwangju is three times cheaper. Without any doubt, Gwangju is the best city to consider getting treatment in, as it has a good living environment. In addition, the cuisine is recognized nationwide as being the most delicious for its rich, authentic Korean flavors full of nutritious ingredients, which will surely suit travelers’ tastes. Next, we have the Gwangju International Center (GIC), an organization that will gladly offer its help and provide guidance to any foreigners residing in Gwangju. Lots of information can be obtained from its official websites, and any inquiries can be made through email or even directly via KakaoTalk. Other than that, last August 16, CNUH officially started the CNUH Global Supporters Program, where nine international visitors came from Kenya, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China, India, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Apart from bringing global visitors to CNUH and strengthening the medical tourism industry in South Korea, this program acts as a bridge between CNUH and foreign outpatients.  

To summarize, as one of the nine Global Supporters, I wanted to promote the hospitals and do what I could to ensure CNUH achieves its goal of being the leader of K-Medicine. Over and above that, when doing some reading for this writing, I realized that not only knowing to call 112, but knowing some healthcare information is no less important, especially when we are living in a foreign country. Fortunately, I am blessed with good health and can never be grateful enough for it; even so, we never know what the future holds. It is always a good move to have backup plans and get yourself familiar with how to handle urgent situations, since it will surely help you or even people in your surroundings. I hope this writing can be useful for international residents around Gwangju, especially during emergencies. Nothing is more depressing and scarier than being sick alone without our loved ones beside us.  

Sources 

[1] Meštrović, T 2023, What is Medical Tourism, News Medical Life Science, viewed 30 August 2023, <https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Medical-Tourism.aspx>. 

[2] CDC 2023, Medical Tourism: Travel to Another Country for Medical Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viewed 30 August 2023, <https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/medical-tourism>. 

The Author 

As one of the CNUH Global Supporters, Qurratu wishes to promote the hospital worldwide. She is actively participating in volunteering activities, and although she is a bit of a shut-in, she likes to meet lots of new people.