Ulsan City launches promotion committee for establishment of Ulsan Medical Center specializing in children’s treatment

Ulsan City announced on the 21st that it would launch the 'Children's Treatment Specialized Ulsan Medical Center Establishment Promotion Committee' to spread citizen consensus for the establishment of Ulsan Medical Center and secure driving force for the project.

Mayor Kim Sang-wook and City Council Chairman Lee Young-hae serve as co-chairs of the promotion committee, and a total of 79 people participate, including Ulsan Superintendent Cho Yong-sik, heads of five districts and counties, local lawmakers, current and former political figures, and officials from the medical community, academia, and civic groups.

The city plans to use the launch of the promotion committee as an opportunity to launch a '100,000 signature campaign' and quickly implement prior administrative procedures, such as lifting the development restriction zone (green belt) related to Ulsan Medical Center.

In addition, we plan to work closely with local politicians and central ministries to make every effort to achieve final reflection of national policy projects and exemption from preliminary feasibility studies.

Ulsan is the only metropolitan government in the country that does not have a national university hospital or a local medical center.

The only public medical institution in the region is Ulsan City Senior Hospital with 149 beds. A public hospital specializing in industrial accidents is scheduled to open in October, but the public medical infrastructure is insufficient.

In particular, the lack of medical infrastructure for children and adolescents is serious.

There are only 4 hospital-level and 33 clinic-level medical institutions for children and adolescents in the Ulsan region, and the pediatric medical care utilization rate is 87.8%, the second lowest among the 7 special cities and metropolitan cities.

A city official said, "Ulsan Medical Center is not simply a project to build an additional hospital, but to create an essential public medical infrastructure so that our children can receive timely treatment nearby and all citizens can use medical services with confidence."

The launch committee launch ceremony will be held at City Hall this afternoon.