10 tertiary hospitals to cut 1,098 beds through government-aided restructuring
Ten large hospitals, including Asan Medical Center in Seoul, are joining the “Tertiary General Hospital Restructuring Support Project.” By participating in the program, these hospitals will reduce 1,098 beds.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it had selected 10 hospitals to participate in the second-round restructuring project.
The 10 medical institutions are Gangnam Severance Hospital, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Dankook University Hospital, Pusan National University Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Ajou University Hospital, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, and Hanyang University Medical Center.
An advisory panel to the ministry selected the hospitals after deliberating on their bed reduction plans, participating in a pilot project to shorten continuous work hours for trainee doctors, and developing structural transformation implementation plans.
To be selected as the project’s participants, Asan Medical Center will reduce 336 beds. The numbers of beds to be reduced for others are Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (104), Gachon University Gil Medical Center (107), Pusan National University Hospital (128), Ajou University Hospital (86), Dankook University Hospital (93), Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital (38), Gangnam Severance Hospital (74), Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital (64), and Hanyang University Medical Center (68).
With the addition of the 10 new hospitals, including Asan Medical Center, which has the largest number of beds in the country, 18 medical institutions, or about 40 percent of the 47 tertiary general hospitals, will participate in the restructuring program.
The ministry said that in addition to the 10 new hospitals, six other hospitals have submitted applications, and it plans to provide prompt support to those ready.
It added that those hospitals that need more time to transform their structure will be given enough time to prepare and apply.
“We will support tertiary general hospitals to transform into 'critical care hospitals' centered on severe, emergency, and rare diseases through structural transformation,” said Jeong Kyung-sil, head of the ministry’s medical reform promotion team.