The government will introduce a system to evaluate and certify institutions that attract foreign patients.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday that an “amendment to the implementation decree of the act on supporting overseas medical advance and attracting foreign patients” was approved at a cabinet meeting a week ago.

The government has revised the enforcement decree to stipulate detailed delegated matters with the amendment to the Medical Overseas Advancement Act and enhance users’ convenience according to the system's operation to attract foreign patients.

More specifically, the amendment reflects the change in the evaluation and certification system of institutions attracting foreign patients according to the revision of the parent law and streamlined details, such as extending the application period for re-certification from three months to two months before the expiration of certification.

Also, it prepared detailed imposition standards for actions subject to fines newly established in the parent law, such as failing to report a change in registrations, suspension, and closure, or winning certification by illegal means.

Accordingly, the government will slap fines of 300,000-700,000 won ($230-$537) on failure to report temporary or permanent closure, 700,000 won on getting certification with lies or other dishonest means, and 300,000-700,000 won on refusing, obstructing or avoiding data submission or examination.

Besides, the revised implementation decree simplified documentation by allowing the report of overseas advances by jointly using administrative information without directly submitting licenses to medical institutions.

expect the amendment of the enforcement decree to help systemic shift to a system that evaluates and certifies institutions that attract foreign patients and contribute to reinvigorating Korean hospitals’ advances overseas,” said Yoon Chan-shik, international cooperation officer at the Ministry of Health and Welfare.