The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) said Friday it has successfully trained doctors of the Republic of Buryatia in a program aimed at promoting cooperation in medical service.
In October, the health institute clinched a deal with the welfare ministry of Buryatia, a federal subject of Russia, to strengthen cooperation in the health and medical service areas.
For the past six months, six doctors recommended by the government of Buryatia and the doctors' association received training at Gangnam Severance Hospital in Seoul, along with an on-site training program prepared for them at their country.
Two cardiothoracic surgeons, two heart surgeons, one neurosurgeon and an anesthesiologist from the Russian republic participated in the training as one team to carry out heart operations later, according to the institute.
The trainees took part in doing an array of medical experiments and observed how Korean doctors conducted surgeries at the southern Seoul hospital from Oct. 1 through March 14.
Later, Korean doctors flew to Buryatia with the trainees in a bid to help them carry out a total of 12 operations including coronary artery bypass graft surgery at one of the main hospitals there, according to the KHIDI.
Gangnam Severance Hospital said it will actively utilize human networks built through this program in a bid to effectively handle foreign patients.
The KHIDI said it will continue to support such cooperative programs with other governments in order to help upgrade counterpart countries' medical services and promote exchanges and cooperation in health and medical service. (Yonhap)