President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) to promote medical simulation training.

President Yoon stressed the need to improve the quality of medical education and training, focusing on national university hospitals and strengthening regional essential medical care capabilities.

SNUBH said President Yoon and Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong visited the hospital's SMART Simulation Center on Thursday. The visit was part of the ongoing series of public livelihood debates called the “Healthcare Reform that Saves Lives and Communities.” 

The SMART Simulation Center is an advanced clinical training facility that simulates medical scenarios for training medical professionals, including interns and residents. Since its opening last year, more than 3,500 medical professionals have received training.

It has advanced training facilities, such as laparoscopic simulators and microscopes, to practice surgical procedures, including laparoscopic surgery and vascular anastomosis. Physicians and other medical workers with no surgical experience can practice various skills in a virtual environment.

Trainees can also treat respiratory diseases on a human mannequin with pulse, respiration, pupil response, and oxygen saturation. The center trains medical professionals in the respiratory area, helping them respond to infectious diseases, including Covid-19.

SNUBH President and CEO Song Jung-han, Education and Human Resources Development Office Director Kim Jae-yong, and Robot Surgery Center Director Choi June-young attended the event, introducing the simulation center and demonstrating the laparoscopic simulator. President Yoon also participated in the practical training.

"To improve the quality of medical education, clinically oriented practical experiences should be expanded. The government will spare no effort to improve the quality of education in essential medical fields, such as advanced simulation training, to foster excellent medical personnel," Yoon said after observing the training.

Health and Welfare Minister Cho said, “The ministry will continue to provide support to improve the quality of medical education so that national hospitals can maintain state-of-the-art infrastructure, including facilities and equipment."

SNUBH President and CEO Song said, "The Covid-19 disaster has confirmed the importance of national hospitals in protecting people's lives and health. As a national university hospital and a responsible regional medical institution, we will continue striving to complete a regional essential medical care system."

As a target hospital for the “National University Hospital Clinical Education and Training Center Construction Project,” SNUBH plans to expand its simulation center into a state-of-the-art training center by investing 29.5 billion won ($22.2 million) by 2026.