“There are many reasons why Korea is now a world-class example of COVID-19 responsiveness. The following three points are key: the establishment of Living and Treatment Centers, a drive-through that allows inspection without getting out of the car, and a diagnostic kit that can be quickly tested. We first proposed a Living and Treatment Center to the government because we expected the number of confirmed patients in Daegu to increase rapidly, making it hard for hospital facilities to handle them. There was no time to spare because if hospitals in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area became overrun, it would quickly spread out of control to other areas, potentially bringing about a serious situation in which patients in critical condition could not be tended to. Also, KU Medicine was the first to implement a smart monitoring system in which patients who live in a Living and Treatment Center record their symptoms and conditions through a mobile application and send it to a doctor digitally.
▲KU Medicine produced a video to encourage the population in the fights against COVID-19.
President Kim said, “The living and treatment center and the smart monitoring system, which were designed as mediums to protect both medical staff and patients, greatly contributed to preventing the spread of COVID-19.” They were extremely appropriate and useful in that they allowed multiple levels of prevention without being face-to-face.
Patients admitted to Living and Treatment Centers check and log ten symptoms daily, including coughing, muscle pain, and sore throat, along with the date they became symptomatic, date of confirmation, and presence of any underlying diseases. The data is implemented as an electronic chart system on a server, and an active monitoring system using AI detects a danger signal in advance and informs medical staff.
▲KU Medicine greatly contributed to easing the COVID-19 situation through the dedication of its members.
Based on operating experience in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, the Ansan Living and Treatment Center is currently operating a more advanced system. Patients and medical personnel can communicate with each other through a web camera. For privacy protection, video treatment is connected only when the patient consents. As it is linked to the Infectious Diseases Department of Korea University Ansan Hospital, it is possible to transfer to the hospital immediately if it is determined that the condition is serious.
Hope for COVID-19 Virus Treatment and Vaccine Development
“Now our medical center only manages the Ansan area. All medical staff sent to Daegu and Gyeongbuk were withdrawn and now there are only two nurses in the intensive care unit. In the very urgent situation where the number of deaths surged and medical personnel were struggling in protective clothing at the time, we set up facilities for seriously ill patients and sent them to Dongsan Hospital. It would not have been possible without the support of medical staff and alumni who volunteered to go to what resembled a battlefield without telling their family members. The large donation of 233 million won from alumni of the Korea University Business Association, which was collected in a matter of a few days, was extremely helpful in purchasing important equipment, such as oxygen respirators, at a time when it was desperately needed. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have contributed.”
President Kim further stated, "In the future, infectious diseases will continue to plague mankind in any form, and we must be prepared for it. KU Medicine, which is proud to be the best in Korea in this field, must play a proactive role. "
▲KU Medicine's mobile hospital, Dream Bus, supported the community in the Daegu Gyeongbuk area
“Recently, a team co-headed by Korea University College of Medicine professors, Park Man-seong and Kim Jin-il has successfully decoded the genome sequence of the COVID-19 virus and registered it in the International Data Base. This is a useful basic resource to accelerate the development of medicine and vaccines and we will jointly develop new drugs with domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies. In addition, various studies related to viruses are being conducted. We look forward to the day when these achievements accumulate and products in the fields of medicine and vaccines will be labeled with ‘Made in Korea University.’
He emphasized the development of the biomedical field as a future food industry and said, "During my tenure, I will do my best to create an environment in which research data collected by the doctors in the treatment frontlines can be linked to the development of new drugs and medical devices."
A blueprint for an ultra-elite medical center, “10 the Best”
With new cases of COVID-19 trending downwards in Korea, President Kim is once again looking at development plans. Topping the to-do list is his strong desire to execute the slogan he announced during his inaugural speech last year, '10 the Best', which is about striving to become the best in Korea in 10 fields within 10 years.
“Becoming the best does not mean stepping on someone to get to the top. Making the surrounding ecosystem healthy together and changing the environment for the better is the real first-class attitude of a true medical practitioner. We cannot become top of our class with a mindset of settling on being better than before. Fortunately, there are many competitive teams in each of our fields including cardiovascular, robotics, infections, liver transplant, and high-risk mothers. The goal is to enrich and nurture the environment so that they can grow to become the best in Korea in 5 or 10 years. If so, the brand power of KU Medicine will be completely different. Only then can we secure excellent human resources and will they become our future. That is why investment is necessary. This is the blueprint of '10 the Best' that I dream of.
Cornerstones in this dream include the completion of the Cheongdam campus in 2021 and the establishment of a platform to properly implement biomedicine. The Cheongdam campus will operate as a specialized hospital mainly dealing with fine dust-related diseases. President Kim is also actively involved in medical exchanges between the two Koreas in preparation for the unification era, such as conducting the compilation of the “Inter-Korea Medical Terminology Dictionary” as the chairman of the Inter-Korea Foundation for Health and Medical Education.
“I still need to pay more attention to COVID-19 because it is important to properly extinguish the embers. I think that Korea University's spirit of saving the country though education has been realized through medical treatment at this time. There have been many heartfelt moments watching medical workers, administrative staff, and even alumni who volunteered at dangerous sites moving in unison to overcome the crisis. We have discovered potential and hope. During my term, I will aim to grow KU Medicine as a top-notch medical center based on the solid achievements of our predecessors during our term.”
