Seoul , Korea :
With a development of medical technology, being diagnosed with any medical term only means a glorious wound of the real world – the result that speaks for your life to the fullest – not a threat but an opportunity to get back before the second round.
Thailand, India, and Singapore have been all time popular spot to “heal and recover” in global recognition, but think of all the hassle one has to put up with to be healed in a strange land. Besides, who do you and can you trust when it comes to your body and money in third world countries? For those who are Googling government-run websites of the interested countries with an agenda of healing or beauty make-over trip, Medical Tourism Department of Korea Tourism Organization envisions to create a channel that is open, credible, and efficient. Executive Director Kim Se-Mann said, “By the end of next year, we will establish a total medical care platform on our website (www.visitkorea.or.kr) that has been successfully run for the last fifty years. The reliable information will be open to the patients overseas to study, make appointment, pay easy, and heal inside out through simple procedures online.” He believes that the Total Medical Care system will serve the medical industry in the way that Gyeongbu Expressway served IT industry a few decades ago.
A Department that Plants Three Elements to the Medical Industry
Kim Se-mann, Executive Director of Medical Tourism Department
Heal, make-over, and retrieve youth – Not only these can be done through a right person at a right place, but it also needs to synergize with the right elements. Medical Tourism Department of Korea Tourism Organization defines these elements as Gi-Heung-Jeong, three Chinese characters that represent “energy”, “dynamic”, and “love”. Executive Director Kim introduces their innovative approach “Medical Tourism 4.0,” which from its very first version have been healing foreign patients’ pandemic disease to securing their health (3.0). Its latest strategy aims to help patients heal inside out in the most effective way. Asians believe that those who are healthy have stronger Gi, energy, than others. Here is an interesting story he shared, “In order to practice one of three elements love, we have been reaching out to the world with our medical strengths. In the recent visit to Myanmar, the local doctor translated to us that Korean television shows (Hallyu) is such a hit in Myanmar that expecting medical staffs from Korea made the patients to feel they were healed already. This is the energy or adrenaline we mentioned earlier. With a wave of Hallyu (K-Pop, television shows, Korea traditional medicine, and food), Korea has lots to offer to the patients.” Dynamic element is hidden in various content of tourism. During the recovering process, patients can choose different themes to explore the country. Everything from food to attractions is well informed on a website. Currently, more than 80,000 people are visiting the website to learn the country.
A Single Act is better than Hundred Words
The strength of Korean medicine is gaining its recognition in Canada and America. Dental implants and spine surgeries, especially, are in its top-tier level in global scale. Gangnam has become a global hot spot for plastic surgery as well. Executive Director Kim, however, believes that global recognition of medicine is something that has to be built by showing a good deeds rather than promoting with thousands of words. The Medical Tourism Department have been participating in medical exhibitions as well as numerous events overseas to promote Korean medical technologies, but they truly believe in element love as he best treatment for the patients. They have invited foreign patients in critical condition to perform operations without a charge, taken medical staffs to undeveloped countries to provide treatments, and trained the newest medical technologies to the doctors overseas for its local patients to be benefited. All these generated special energy and dynamics in the patients’ heart as well as gaining the global conscious of Korean medicine.
“The wave of Hallyu increased the global conscious to a degree where patients from overseas come to our country to get styling like their stars and experience something new. All we have to do is make sure Korean medical fields are well supported by the government and regulations to provide top medical services in the most reasonable prices. By opening up the information through our website, we want to encourage our patients to come to decisions for themselves without an influence of commercial approaches, and follow through the decision with the speediest process, Total Medical Care Platform. We will continuously reach out to practice medical technology collaborations with Southeast Asian doctors, develop and strengthen brand identity by sharing,” He said. According to KPMG survey, 67 % foreigners responded positive to their experience with Korean medical care and showed their willingness to return for future needs.
source: http://www.koreaittimes.com / Korea IT Times / by Chun Go-Eun / Saturday – May 25th, 2013
