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Hospitals have played a major role in the improvement of health. The development of hospitals in our society is closely associated with religion and war.
The history of medicine recounts that priests and physicians treated patients in temples even before medieval times. Military hospital appeared in ancient Rome in the wake of war.
Korea's first modern medical facility is "Gwanghyewon" established by Horace N. Allen, a U.S Protestant medical missionary and diplomat, in 1885. Later called "Jejungwon", it was renamed "Severance Hospital" in 1904 that later morphed into Yonsei University's medical system.
Having unique ties with representatives of the Scandinavian nations of Denmark, Norway and Sweden over decades, I am particularly interested in the Korean National Medical Center that was jointly established by these three nations.
At the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the three Scandinavian nations dispatched medical units from their respective militaries to Korea to establish field hospitals around battle fronts.
The Danish medical ship "Jutlandia" was deployed in Busan. Norway's Mobile Army Surgical Hospital was set up in Dongducheon and Sweden operated a red-cross hospital in Busan till armistice in 1953.
I was encouraged by their humanitarian contribution which provided medical assistance to tens of thousands of war causalities, both soldiers and civilians.
Following cessation of the fighting, the Scandinavian nations, the United Nations and the Korean government jointly established the National Medical Center, a modern hospital complex in the heart of Seoul in 1958. Its purpose was to improve medical services for the public and to raise overall medical standards in the war-torn country.
Although the hospital was handed over to the Korean authorities in 1968, it received Scandinavian assistance until 1971. Furthermore, the Scandinavian nations adopted a great number of Korean orphans and educated them in their nations.
At that time, the National Medical Center operated by the Scandinavian medical team was Korea's leading hospital with the most advanced medical facilities and equipment.
As a result, it played an important role in improving national health by preventing the spread of communicable diseases at low cost, particularly among underprivileged people.
To honor Scandinavia's contribution to Korea, the Korean government established the Korean-Scandinavian Foundation in 1967 in order to improve medical services and cultural exchanges.
The Scandinavian Club, Korea's first Scandinavian restaurant with a "Smorgasbord" buffet was opened in the hospital in 1958 for the Scandinavian Mission's dining room and bar.
It was beloved by both Scandinavians and Koreans and served the public until it closed in 2012. A memorial with the three Scandinavian flags was erected in the hospital.
I am disheartened to learn that the Korean government has chosen to move the hospital from its present location, Eulji-ro 6-ga, Jung-gu, to Wonji-dong, Seocho-gu, in southern Seoul.
The councils of Jung-gu, Jongno-gu, Seongdong-gu, Dongdaemoon-gu and Seongbuk-gu, in northern Seoul, neighboring the hospital, have jointly protested against the government's decision to relocate the hospital.
They are very concerned that if the hospital is closed and not replaced with a comparable advanced medical facility to serve them, over five million Seoul residents will face a serious medical vacuum.
In consideration of the appeal of the five Districts' inhabitants and Scandinavia's devotion to the hospital, the Korean government should reconsider its plan to relocate the hospital.
I wish that the National Medical Center would fulfill its role as a model public medical institution in its current location after it is refurbished and installed with the most technologically advanced equipment.
Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times and the president of Dae-kwang International Co., as well as a director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at dkic98@chol.com.
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