Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Chinyoub (left) and Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Adel bin Muhammed Fakeih discuss ways to expand cooperation on healthcare, in Seoul on March 7.
“We look forward to developing concrete plans for cooperation on healthcare with the Korean government,” said Saudi Arabian Minister of Economy and Planning Adel bin Muhammed Fakeih during a meeting with Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Chinyoub in Seoul on March 7.
Minister Fakeih visited Korea this week to discuss expanding cooperation on healthcare, with the specific goal of laying the groundwork for “Saudi Vision 2030.” This governance model is a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, while diversifying service sectors, such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.
Based on a list of healthcare projects proposed by Saudi Arabia for Saudi Vision 2030, Minister Chung gave his suggestions on some potential programs, including exports of Korea’s hospital management and information systems and the privatization of public hospitals. The minister explained the merits of Korea’s health insurance and review assessment services (HIRA), which efficiently manages healthcare financing. He also suggested setting up a training program for Saudi medical professionals stationed at Korean hospitals, including doctors, dentists and nurses.
Finally, the two ministers discussed the feasibility of setting up a government-funded patient transfer system that would make it possible to treat Saudi patients undergoing complicated procedures, like organ transplants and tumor removal surgeries, at Korean hospitals. They also talked about cooperating on building nursing schools in Saudi Arabia to create more jobs for local women, who still face a number of restrictions in the workforce.
“Through the Saudi Vision 2030, we hope to increase the quality of public services and to cut back on unnecessary costs to create a more efficient economy. We’re looking forward to this year’s Korea-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee meeting to further our cooperation on a full range of sectors,” said Minister Fakeih.
By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Ministry of Health and Welfare
hlee10@korea.kr
