Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo returned from his three-day trip from Qatar and United Arab Emirates Tuesday, during which he promoted the Korean healthcare system in the two Middle East countries.

In Qatar, Park attended the “Korea-Qatar Healthcare Symposium.” Through this event, doctors from 11 Korean medical institutions and 15 Qatari medical professionals shared the latest medical technology and treatment experience of both countries.

About 650 Qatari medical workers participated in the symposium as the Middle East country recognized it as a mandatory education course for the country’s medical personnel. Also, a Korean medical team, consisting of seven medical departments, including orthopedic, cardiovascular, pain medicine, and oriental medicine, conducted a “Visiting Doctors Program,” which jointly treated local patients with Qatar doctors.

In UAE, Park attended the Arab Health 2019 held in Dubai from Jan. 28-31. The minister encouraged Korean companies to take part in, and visited the new “Korean Surgical Devices Showroom.” The showroom displayed an operating room with differentiated medical equipment from 22 Korean companies.

Park also discussed introducing a Korean-style health insurance screening evaluation system with Saudi Arabian Health Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah, during the exhibition.

“If the system is introduced in Saudi Arabia, it will contribute to Saudi healthcare reform for quality healthcare delivery and efficient financial operations,” Park said to Rabiah, citing the example of Korea’s export to Bahrain in 2017. The two ministers also reaffirmed their plans to co-host the “Korea-Saudi Arabia Healthcare Forum” this year.

The ministry also signed a memorandum of understanding with UAE to cooperate in the social security sector. The MOU covers contents such as social insurance, expert exchanges on child and elderly welfare policies and population policy related to aging.

“Through the visit to Qatar and the UAE, I could see their interests in the Korean medical and healthcare industries, and the status of Korean medical service in the world stage,” Park said. “The government will continue to diversify healthcare cooperation with more foreign countries in various areas of medical equipment, medical personnel education, and health insurance evaluation system.”