By Lee Kyung-min
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday it will advise Saudi Arabia on the setting up of a disease control center.
Health Minister Chung Chin-youb signed a framework of cooperation (FOC) with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Khalid A. Al-Falih, to strengthen the healthcare partnership between the two nations during his visit to the Middle Eastern country from Feb. 20 to 23, according to the ministry.
“Saudi Arabia has suffered from infectious diseases such as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but has not had a disease control and prevention authority,” a ministry official said.
Under the agreement, the ministry and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will help Saudi Arabian doctors and nurses receive training here. The two countries will also exchange treatment information on new infectious illnesses such as MERS, and also the Zika virus, and share knowhow on how to administer health insurance systems.
Korea will also help Saudi Arabia set up the Korea-developed Hospital Information System (HIS) in 300 state-run hospitals there, as the system in use is outdated. Currently, six hospitals there have been working with a consortium of Korean hospitals and companies to establish the HIS.
Cooperation will be strengthened between Samsung Medical Center here and King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh with the Korean hospital passing on information about anticancer treatments to the Saudi hospital.
The two countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation in medicine and medical equipment development. Chung invited Saudi Arabian drug and medical equipment companies to 2016 Bio Korea, an expo to be held at COEX in southern Seoul from March 30 to April 1.
Chung also met with health officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to encourage patients there to come to Korea for advanced medical treatment.
He told them that Korea plans to strengthen interpretation services, and provide lodging and halal food for Muslims, to help them better recover after treatment.