– On June 27, the ship's nameplate was presented at the Incheon Port Ferry Terminal, followed by a tour of the hospital ship and a trial run.
– The new hospital ship will expand medical services for residents of island areas and strengthen the public health infrastructure.
Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jung-bok) announced that it held the inaugural ceremony for the new hospital ship ‘Health Ongjin’ of Ongjin County on June 27 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Pier 4 of the Incheon Port Cargo Terminal.
The ceremony was attended by approximately 200 people, including Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Ongjin County Mayor Moon Kyung-bok, City Council Member Shin Young-hee, Ongjin County Council Chairman Lee Eui-myung, and Gwak Soon-heon, Director of the Health Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as officials from related organizations and local residents.
Part 1 of the ceremony was held at Pier 4 of the Port Authority Wharf and consisted of a progress report, commemorative speeches, and the presentation of a nameplate.
The second part of the ceremony included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a tour of the ship, and a trial run. This inauguration ceremony commemorated the completion of the hospital ship replacement project, which has been underway since 2022. Incheon City invested a total of 12.6 billion won, including 8 billion won in government funding, to build a 270-ton state-of-the-art hospital ship.
The new hospital ship began providing medical services on a weekly basis, with a two-night, three-day schedule, to six towns in Ongjin County starting in May.
With the launch of the new hospital ship, “Healthy Ongjin,” which is larger than the previous one, the service area has been expanded to include six towns and 17 islands, including the five islands of the West Sea, enabling medical services to be provided to residents of these areas.
The new hospital ship measures 47.2 meters in length, 8.4 meters in width, and 3.6 meters in depth, with a maximum cruising range of 46 kilometers (25 knots) and a capacity for 44 passengers. Notably, it can operate safely in the Daechong, Baengnyeong, and Yeonpyeong regions, significantly improving medical accessibility and convenience for island residents.
The hospital ship has been equipped with various medical facilities, including physical therapy rooms, clinical pathology rooms, radiology rooms, and health education rooms, in addition to the existing internal medicine, dentistry, and traditional Korean medicine clinics. It is also equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment such as bone density scanners and biochemical analyzers, and will be staffed by three public health officers, nurses, clinical pathologists, physical therapists, and radiologists, enabling specialized medical services in each field.
Yoo Jung-bok, the mayor, stated, “We will continue to provide unwavering support not only for the expansion of public healthcare infrastructure but also for the improvement of services.” He added, “We hope that the newly launched hospital ship will serve as a reliable partner in safeguarding the health of island residents and fishermen who rely on the rough seas for their livelihoods.”
