GYEONGGI-DO

Gyeonggi-do partnered up with HJ Magnolia International Medical Center for its 2021 Free Surgery for Invited Foreign Patients project. The invited patient was Sukanya, a 25-year-old woman who volunteers for an NGO in Thailand. Sukanya's left ankle had to be amputated due to a traffic accident, and she was unable to pay for the high costs of surgery.

Sukanya came to Korea last December. After completing quarantine, she was given surgery at HJ Magnolia International Medical Center. Fortunately, as her ankle still had nerves, the surgery involved re-connecting the nerves and allowing her to have a prosthetic leg. Sukanya went through a 4-week-long rehabilitation program with her customized prosthetic leg, during which she visited various tourist attractions in Korea. After she completed all the steps of the treatment program, she was discharged from the hospital in February and returned home.

Prior to receiving her surgery in Korea, Sukanya had been depressed because of her sudden ankle amputation procedure and the daily pain she had felt. She said that her dream used to be to teach English to children who did not have education opportunities. She expressed her hopes to help those around her if she had the chance to walk again after surgery. Sukanya also said that she will share about the high level of medical technology and the spirit of sharing of Gyeonggi-do that gave her hope.

Every year, Gyeonggi-do participates in volunteer medical services, delivers medical equipment to foreign countries, and provides free surgeries for invited foreign patients to give seeds of hope to foreign countries and patients. The province will continue to engage in volunteer services to share its advanced medical technology with the world.