Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, third left, and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, second right, pose for a photo with Kang Dong Orthopedic Hospital Vice President Sharky Kang, third right, and International Healthcare Director Shon Park, left. Joining them are Health Network Program’s Ronald Sablan, second left, and the special assistant to the lt. governor, Henry Hofschneider.
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna, third left, Chief Financial Officer Perlita Santos, left, and CHCC staff pose with Kang Dong Orthopedic Hospital Vice President Sharky Kang, second left, and International Healthcare Director Shon Park, third right.
TOP officials of Kang Dong Orthopedic Hospital in Busan, South Korea would like the CNMI to be a new “home” for Korean doctors.
Kang Dong Orthopedic Hospital Vice President Sharky Kang and International Healthcare Director Shon Park met with Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang on Thursday last week to present a proposal to build a medical center on Saipan.
Kang Dong Orthopedic Hospital has been providing treatment and follow-up services through the medical referral program to CNMI residents with spine and knee problems, and other orthopedic health issues, since 2017. This partnership with the CNMI government continues as more and more local residents rely on the medical care provided by Kang Dong.
In an interview after the meeting, Kang said this is a “very suitable time” to expand the partnership because most physicians in Korea prefer to practice their profession abroad. He said the Korean government and the Korean Medical Association, which has about 140,000 members, “are fighting” over “a very big issue.”
In February, physicians across South Korea staged a one-day strike to protest South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s plan to lift the cap on the number of medical students to address the country’s increasing need for more doctors.
Kang said doctors in Korea want to “exit” their country. He said Kang Dong would like to build a medical center here that provides magnetic resonance imaging or MRI to CNMI patients and a general healthcare promotion center. Kang said they also plan to build a specialty clinic on island and, eventually, a general hospital.
The governor told Kang and Park that CNMI patients receiving healthcare services from Kang Dong are happy with the “high standard” of its hospital services.
According to Kang, Palacios intends to discuss with other CNMI officials the “obstacles” created by the recent changes to the medical referral program, which was transferred from the governor’s office to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. through the law that created the Health Network Program.
Kang said they would also need assistance from the CNMI government in acquiring the appropriate U.S. visas for Korean doctors so they can stay on island and practice their medical profession legally.
Kang said they will be waiting for the results of the governor’s efforts.
