▲Professor Won Woong Kim of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Asan Medical Center performs a thyroidectomy with local medical staff.

From August 18 to 21, the Asan Medical Center volunteer team carried out medical services at Arkhangai Provincial Hospital and the First Central National Hospital of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar. Arkhangai is considered a medically underserved region where poor infrastructure and high poverty rates make it difficult for residents to receive adequate treatment.

The Asan Medical Center volunteer team, consisting of 18 members including five physicians, 12 nurses, and one biomedical engineering technician, set up treatment facilities within the hospitals and provided outpatient care, surgical support, and health education. From August 18 for two days at Arkhangai Provincial Hospital, the team conducted more than 450 primary care consultations in internal medicine, family medicine, and dermatology, over 100 pain management procedures, about 200 breast ultrasounds, and 180 thyroid ultrasounds. On August 21 at the First Central National Hospital of Mongolia, the team performed thyroid cancer surgeries, breast tumor removals, and more than 30 breast ultrasounds. They also co-hosted a conference on breast and hepatobiliary diseases with local medical staff to share the latest medical knowledge.

Professor Il Yong Chung of the Division of Breast Surgery at Asan Medical Center, who led the volunteer team, said, “It was a meaningful opportunity to provide essential medical care to residents who have had limited access to proper treatment due to challenging conditions, while also engaging in valuable exchanges with local medical professionals.”

▲ Professor Il Yong Chung of the Division of Breast Surgery at Asan Medical Center and the Chief of the Mongolia Medical Volunteer Team, performs breast surgery.

▲ Professor Sung-Hoon Kim of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Asan Medical Center, who was in charge of anesthesia during surgeries at the Mongolia medical volunteer program, poses for a commemorative photo with local medical staff.

▲ A commemorative group photo of the Asan Medical Center volunteer team.

▲ A commemorative photo of the Asan Medical Center volunteer team at the Korea-Mongolia Future Strategy Forum held after completing the medical volunteer program in Mongolia.