SEOUL, South Korea, January 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The 2011 Medical Korea Awards ceremony was held in Seoul on Dec. 21 (Wed.), 2011. At the awards ceremony, 10 outstanding medical tourism service providers and two special contributors were awarded. In addition, three medical tourism agencies, designated as 'first movers' in the medical travel service industry, were given certification.
Yonsei Severance Hospital (General Director: Park Yong-won) won this year's grand prize (the Minister of Health-Welfare Prize) for attracting the highest number of foreign patients since the declaration of "Medical Korea" as South Korea's national medical brand (Dec. 29, 2009).
Other medical institutions that have won the Minister of Health-Welfare Prize include Seoul National University Hospital (President: Jung Hee-won), Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (President: Hwang Tae-gon), Sejong General Hospital (President: Roh Young-moo), JK Plastic Surgery Center (President: Ju Kwon), Arumdaun Nara Clinic (President: Lee Sang-joon) and the medical travel agency Hu Care (President: Jung Seung-ho).
The Special Contribution Award went to the South Korean Embassy in the United Arab Emirates which has been promoting the advanced medical techniques offered by South Korea. The South Korean Embassy also successfully assisted in the signing of an MOU in the health and medicine field between the two nations and oversaw the first agreement for patient referral and transfer.
The Korea Health Industry Development Institute Award winners include Seoul Asan Medical Center (President: Park Seong-wook), Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Healthcare Center (President: Cho Sang-heon) and Wonjin Aesthetic Surgery Clinic (President: Park Won-jin). In addition, Park Young-kwan (chairman of Sejong General Hospital) won the individual contribution award.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare also designated three medical travel agencies, following the five agencies shortlisted for last year's event, to receive certification as the 'first movers' in the medical tourism industry. The ministry announced that it would continue to spread successful models for medical travel agencies and enhance business credibility.
In the Russian-speaking region, Goryeo Healthcare Tour Development (President: Kim Jae-hui) and Hyundai Medis (President: Shin Jung-il) were designated. In the Chinese and Japanese-speaking regions, Hu Care (President: Jung Seung-ho) was selected. No agencies were designated in the English and Arabic and other language areas due to the absence of qualified agencies that had scored at least 70 out of 100 points in the evaluation
For more information about Medical Korea's Korea Medical Charity Program, please contact Mike Kim of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute's Global Healthcare Business Department at +82-2-538-0612 or koreaexport@naver.com.
