Jeollanam-do Province on June 9 announced its designation and operation of hospitals for expats to offer them stable medical services in the region. (Jeollanam-do Province)

By Lee Dasom

Jeollanam-do Province on June 9 announced its designation and operation of expat-friendly hospitals to enhance medical access for foreign residents given their growing number in the region.

Last year, the province saw an 18.5% increase in the number of expats, the highest nationwide, forecasting that their demand for medical services will surge. The purpose of the designation of such hospitals is to provide stable medical services to foreign residents.

The province and the Jeollanamdo Medical Association from this month will designate the hospitals, which will discount medical expenses for expats who lack health insurance by 30% to alleviate their financial burden.

The hospitals and Jeollanam-do's integrated call center for expats will provide interpretation in six languages: Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer (Cambodia), Nepali and Indonesian. 

Thai, Uzbek, Sinhala (Sri Lanka) and Filipino will be added next month.

The province will issue certificates to hospitals applying for the designation and oversee overall operations of the project such as interpretation and translation support for foreign patients.

dlektha0319@korea.kr