Foreign patients receiving treatment in Seoul will soon be able to choose lodging that sits close to hospitals and can handle medical emergencies. The city is introducing its first "Seoul Medical-Friendly Accommodation" program, which certifies hotels and other lodgings that meet standards for hospital access, patient mobility and round-the-clock emergency response. The aim is to widen medical tourism support beyond treatment itself to cover recovery and extended stays before and after procedures.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization said on the 13th that they will open applications and select accommodations specialized in hosting foreign patients and their accompanying family members for the first time.
The number of foreign patients treated at South Korean medical institutions reached 2.01 million last year, up 71.9% from a year earlier and topping 2 million for the first time. Of those, 1.76 million visited Seoul, or about 88% of the total. Spending by foreign patients on medical services also rose 66.5% year-on-year in July to 213.1 billion won.
As the number of foreign patients grows, so does the importance of their environment outside the hospital. Patients who have undergone surgery or other procedures often cannot travel for long stretches or must rely on wheelchairs and other mobility aids. "Unlike ordinary tourists, foreign patients have to weigh hospital access, ease of movement and emergency response when choosing where to stay, along with services needed for longer stays such as laundry," a Seoul city official said.
Reflecting those needs, the city will assess applicants on hospital access, patient mobility, 24-hour emergency response systems, laundry service and wheelchair-accessible routes. Facilities for this year's pilot program will be chosen after document reviews, on-site evaluations and consultations with outside experts.
Selected facilities will receive an official certificate valid for one year. Information on them will be available to foreign patients through the Seoul medical tourism website, which operates in five languages, and the Seoul Medical Tourism Center, and the city will also support promotion at home and abroad. The program will offer networking with the medical tourism industry as well as training in emergency response.
"What matters for medical tourism competitiveness is not only the quality of medical services but also a stay that is comfortable and safe during examinations and treatment," said Cho Sung-ho, director general of the Seoul city government's Tourism and Sports Bureau. "We will identify accommodations that account for how foreign patients stay, and raise both satisfaction and competitiveness in Seoul's medical tourism."
