영리병원 추진 취소…찬반 논란 다시 원점으로<br /><br /> Public health care is a sensitive issue anywhere in the world,... and in Korea, there has been a years-long debate on whether the country should allow hospitals to run for profit.<br />Well, Jeju Island authorities have revoked a Chinese company's license to operate what was set to be Korea's first for-profit hospital.<br />Oh Soo-young reports.<br /> Jeju authorities have cancelled a permit to launch a Chinese-owned hospital on Korea's southernmost island on Wednesday.<br /> Governor Won Hee-ryong announced the decision, saying that Greenland International Hospital had missed the three-month deadline on launching its services last month.<br />He added that the hospital did not provide a sufficient excuse on the delay and requested an extension of the opening period only when the deadline was almost up.<br />Owned by Shanghai-based Greenland Group,... the medical center was set to become the country's first investor-owned, or for-profit hospital.<br />In Korea, all hospitals are classified as non-profit, requiring earnings to be invested into improving services,... rather than generating profit for shareholders.<br /> However, for-profit hospitals can attract foreign direct investment as well as a so-called brain gain of talented personnel.<br />That's why the law permits for-profit institutions to be built on Jeju Island and eight free economic zones,... if the share of foreign investment is at least 50 percent.<br />However, critics argue that this would derail the national healthcare system,... which subsidizes medical costs for citizens,... and lead to a slippery slope of rising medical costs for the general Korean public. <br />The debate has been ongoing since construction plans for Greenland was approved in 2015 by the health ministry.<br /> Given the various concerns,... the Jeju government last year finally gave the green light but on the condition that Greenland International Hospital only treats foreign patients.<br />However, Greenland Group cried foul,... filling a lawsuit against the Jeju government in February,... and showed little signs of meeting last month's operation launch deadline.<br />As uncertainty remains on the future of the three-story hospital,... it's expected the public will be just as divided as ever on whether limiting for-profit medical centers protects or harms the public's right to decent healthcare.<br />Oh Soo-young, Arirang News. <br />
