The Staff of Yonsei Severance International Clinic, 2011
Staying in a hospital can be a frightening ordeal for many people, especially for expatriates. The prospect of being hospitalized in an unfamiliar culture breeds fear of misunderstanding and suspicions of incompetence, exacerbated by the absence of family.
As Korea develops its medical tourism climate, Yonsei Severance Hospital in Shinchon, northern Seoul is taking measures to ensure patient care is foreigner friendly.
Dr. Park Chan-shin of the hospital’s International Health Care Center says success begins with excellent doctor-patient communication.
“There is a tendency to associate competence with language ability, so smooth communication leads to confidence and comfort,” Park said. “Right now we have on-site coordinators to accommodate Russian, Chinese and English speakers.”
As impressive as Yonsei’s state of the art facilities and contemporary aesthetics are, Park is cognizant of the fact that the little things really do make a difference.
Every morning, she and her colleagues make rounds that include visits to foreign patients to ensure mental wellbeing, and to clear up any confusion that may arise through the hustle and bustle of the hospital experience.
Park emphasizes the need for hospitals in Korea to think ahead when choosing staff, and the International Department team reflects the sentiment.
“We hand-pick interns who have lived and studied abroad to be sure we have culturally aware doctors,” Park says.
Yonsei Severance currently employs 13 bilingual interns to help manage the increasing inflow of foreign patients-a need which Park admits is a waxing challenge as Korea becomes a more active player on the medical tourism scene.
“The nurse to patient ratio isn’t what it needs to be, and we do our best to make sure every patient gets the optimal we can give and every patient is different.”
The hospital goes so far as to offer meal options for foreigners, including pork-free choices for Muslims and mainstream Western dishes.
Park is a firm believer in treating the individual needs of each patient and fondly reminisces about an Arabic patient who received urgent surgery, and later returned as a medical tourist due to the quality of personal care he received.
She fondly recalls orchestrating his unique menu, making provisions for the man’s wives, and assisting staff in making him feel at home-efforts which ultimately led to his patronage. Yes, that was “wives.”
Park discussed plans for a new international hospital in Incheon, noting that special attention is being given to foreigner comfort. The facility, which is set to open in 2015, will have features such as special beds to accommodate tall patients.
Despite the impressive pace of Korean medical technology, Park hopes to see “less talk and more action” on the patient care front.
“Nowadays, medical tourism is growing and a lot of people are talking, but the overall infrastructure is still weak,” she said. “We have the passion and the intention, but the practical progress is lacking.”
