The Korean and Danish health authorities have recently met to discuss how to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) said officials from the Embassy of Denmark in Korea, Danish Ministry of Health, and Copenhagen City Government met with Korean officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the Korean Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health at an international workshop on Friday.

Healthcare government officials from Korea and Denmark held a workshop to share the two countries’ Covid-19 response measures, on Friday. (NHIS)

Einar Jensen, Danish ambassador to Korea, hosted the online workshop to share the two countries’ experiences of handling Covid-19 and seek mutually beneficial strategies.

The seminar paid particular attention to Covid-10 responses in the aged society of Korea and Denmark. Danish officials showed keen interest in Korea’s operation of the national health insurance program, which helped the nation control and prevents Covid-19, the NHIS said.

According to the NHIS, Danish officials praised Korea’s efficient treatment and resources management system. Physicians analyzed infected patients’ underlying disease and severity of Covid-19 based on NHIS’s big data and reported to the health authorities. The authorities triaged moderate and severe patients to living treatment centers and medical institutions, respectively.

Health experts from Denmark were surprised to find that Covid-19 treatment was free of charge in Korea, with 80 percent of the cost covered by the national health insurance program and 20 percent by the government. This led to a high diagnosis rate and prevention of the disease spread, the NHIS said.

In northern European countries with advanced social welfare, rising infection and mortality rates of the elderly in community care centers are increasingly becoming a problem.

In this sense, Danish officials appreciated the NHIS’s efforts to carry out inspections on all nursing hospitals and community care centers, distribute guidelines, and help them prevent and control the pandemic in various ways, the NHIS said.

The NHIS and the Danish delegation have been engaging in active and continuous exchanges in caring for the elderly and community care.

In May, Denmark Crown Princess Mary hosted a healthcare conference between Korea and Denmark. Then, the Danish Ministry of Health and the NHIS held a meeting for work exchanges. Danish ambassador to Korea also visited the NHIS and Ilsan Hospital.

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