Dear readers, I am Jinny Son. I am a nurse, assisting international patients so that they can get appropriate treatment at Asan Medical Center (AMC) and return home healthy. My roles includes providing assistance for interpretation, offering treatment schedules and consultation, and adjusting schedules for medical examinations and procedures. At the International Healthcare Center, foreigners can have their health certificate issued in relation to COVID-19 and receive health screening for E2 visa and working holiday visa. I would like to share a story of a Japanese student I met while working here.

“Thank you for being there for me to the very last moment”

It seems that the International Healthcare Center is one of the places that has undergone a lot of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the proliferation of the COVID-19 outbreak, people had to receive COVID-19 tests and submit their health certificate to the relevant authorities for entering and departing South Korea. These arrangements required much attention because testing methods and document forms varied according to each country’s anti-epidemic guidelines. As I issued health certificates for COVID-19, I met politicians and celebrities who are not often seen in person and got acquainted with international students who came to South Korea to study. I remember one particular student who left for Japan around this time last year.

The student received a COVID-19 test and had the health certificate issued before leaving for Japan. However, I received a call from the arrival hall of Narita International Airport. She was crying and told me that there was an issue with the paperwork, so she was denied entry to Japan and stranded at the airport. In order for the certificate to be accepted, it had to be hand-written using the document form designated by the Japanese Embassy but her certificate issued from AMC was computer generated. I could feel that Japanese culture is different from South Korea in that the analogue methods are maintained such as using fax instead of e-mail.

The student was trembling with fear, isolated alone at the airport somewhat chaotic due to COVID-19. The staff at the International Healthcare Center searched for a way to prove that the student had been tested negative for COVID-19 according to correct procedures at AMC so that she could be released from isolation and return home as soon as possible. I made a number of calls to the Japanese Embassy, and fortunately, I was able to reach the quarantine officer at Narita Airport to explain the situation and deliver the document that proves the student is negative for COVID-19. When the student finally made home after all the troubles, she told me over the phone saying “Thank you for being with me and helping me from the departure from South Korea till the entry to Japan.”

Closer together through culture

During a consultation session with a Russian patient who visited the International Healthcare Center, BTS came up as the topic of conversation. As the patient declared to be one of the ARMY, the official fanclub of BTS, and showed a friendly attitude towards South Korea, the consultation was conducted in a brighter atmosphere. I find it difficult at times to deal with foreign patients because of cultural differences, but in this case, I was much closer with the patient thanks to culture. The International Healthcare Center is the first place where foreign patients visit when they come to AMC, so I will continue to put my best efforts to understand and study various cultural backgrounds so as to offer a higher level of medical services.

※ ‘Thank U, AMC’ features stories told by the members of the International Healthcare Center about memorable international patients.