The Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Office on April 14 said it seeks the highest level of medical support for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit slated for late October in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. iClickArt (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution of this photo is prohibited under copyright law.)

By Koh Hyunjeong

Gyeongsangbuk-do Province on April 14 said it seeks to provide the highest level of medical support during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit slated for late October in the province's No. 2 city of Gyeongju.

To this end, the provincial government's APEC Preparation and Support Bureau will raise the number of certified hospitals for the event from 13 to 23 and form medical teams for each emergency disease, along with setting up three on-site clinics.

To prioritize participant safety, 50 ambulances and five emergency helicopters will be dispatched near the accommodations of each participating country and venues for meetings and banquets to rush patients to partner hospitals in case of emergency.

A mobile clinic inside Gyeongju Expo Park will be run in cooperation with the National Emergency Medical Center of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

"The core element of the successful hosting of an international event is the setup of a perfect medical emergency system," the bureau's director Kim Sang-Chul said. "We will stably support the APEC Summit through a flawless medical system with no medical gaps."

hjkoh@korea.kr