Bang Moonkyu (left), vice minister for health and welfare, and Talantbek Batyraliev, the Kyrgyzstani minister of health, shake hands after signing an MOU on healthcare, in Bishkek on March 31. (Ministry of Health and Welfare)

Bang Moonkyu (left), vice minister for health and welfare, and Talantbek Batyraliev, the Kyrgyzstani minister of health, shake hands after signing an MOU on healthcare, in Bishkek on March 31. (Ministry of Health and Welfare)

By Xu Aiying and Kim Young Shin

Korea is expanding healthcare ties with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Bang Moonkyu visited the two countries to discuss cooperation plans on health care.

The vice minister first had meetings with Kazakhstani Vice Minister of Health Care and Social Development Alexey Choi on March 29.

“We’re very interested in Korea’s excellent health care system,” said Vice Minister Choi. “Kazakhstan is interested in cooperating with Korea to modernize its healthcare business and to develop the pharmaceutical and medical device fields.”

“Korea’s superior medical system, IT, pharmaceuticals and medical devices can contribute to revolutionizing Kazakhstan’s healthcare system,” said Vice Minister Bang.

Bang suggested hosting a forum on the pharmaceutical industry, expanding a training program for medical personnel, and generating follow-up treatments for Kazakhstani patients in Korea.

On March 31, Bang signed an MOU on healthcare with Talantbek Batyraliev, the Kyrgyzstani minister of health, covering comprehensive cooperation in the health and medical fields.

“I’m grateful for the support we’ve received from Korean medical institutions to train Kyrgyzstani medical personnel,” said Minister Batyraliev. “I hope cooperation on pharmaceutical and medical devices between our two countries will grow, starting with an exchange of medical personnel between the two countries,“ he said.

Vice Minister Bang suggested ways to cooperate on modernizing Kyrgyzstani hospitals, such as constructing hospitals that deal with infections, in Bishkek, the capital, and other clinics with funds provided by the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund, establishing an IT system for hospitals and educating medical personnel.

xuaiy@korea.kr