Gyeonggi Province's First State-Run Animal Hospital to be Established for Coexistence with Private Sector

Provincial Councilor Choi Jong-hyun (Democratic Party, Suwon District 7) of the Safety and Administration Committee of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council held a roundtable discussion on the 22nd at the Gyeonggi Provincial Council to enact the 'Gyeonggi Province State-Run Animal Hospital Installation and Operation Ordinance,' with the Gyeonggi Province Veterinary Medical Association and related government officials in attendance. The discussion covered the role of the state-run animal hospital and ways to foster coexistence and cooperation with private animal hospitals.

Councilor Choi Jong-hyun stated, "While pet ownership is becoming increasingly common, pet owners continue to face difficulties in receiving necessary treatment in a timely manner due to high treatment costs," and added, "The important purpose of promoting a state-run animal hospital is to establish a public responsibility to ensure that necessary animal medical care is accessible regardless of economic circumstances."

He further explained, "The state-run animal hospital is not a facility meant to handle all animal treatment directly or compete in low-cost treatment with private animal hospitals. Instead, it needs to operate as a hub of public animal medical care by focusing on fields with high public importance, such as treatment for vulnerable populations and lost or abandoned animals, disaster response, and management of zoonotic diseases, while cooperating with private animal hospitals."

The ordinance currently under review includes provisions for an operating committee with members recommended by the Gyeonggi Province Veterinary Medical Association to deliberate on the subjects and scope of public medical care, treatment fees and reductions, hospital operations, and cooperation methods with private animal hospitals. In particular, the review includes plans to establish reasonable treatment fees and support standards for public medical care by accumulating actual treatment costs and operational data.

Additionally, the proposal includes measures to expand veterinary expertise and participation by allowing certain tasks such as treatment, research, and education to be entrusted to specialized institutions or organizations.

During the meeting, the Gyeonggi Province Veterinary Medical Association proposed utilizing existing public facilities to provide public animal medical functions and designating private animal hospitals as 'public cooperation animal hospitals' to provide necessary treatment primarily to socially disadvantaged groups.

In response, Councilor Choi Jong-hyun proposed a plan to initially operate the state-run animal hospital as a hub for public animal medical care while establishing treatment subjects and scope, treatment costs and support standards, and subsequently building a cooperation system for referrals and transfers with private animal hospitals. The long-term vision includes expanding verified public medical care standards and cooperation models to private animal hospitals in all 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, developing it into a system where necessary public animal medical care can be accessed anywhere in Gyeonggi Province.

Councilor Choi Jong-hyun emphasized, "The public must fulfill necessary roles so that Gyeonggi residents do not give up needed treatment due to medical costs," and added, "At the same time, it is important to create a coexistence system where public and private sectors share roles while respecting the expertise and local medical resources of the Gyeonggi Province Veterinary Medical Association and private animal hospitals."

In the meeting, participants agreed to continue additional discussions with the Gyeonggi Province Veterinary Medical Association and widely gather opinions from experts, related government departments, and residents through legislative policy seminars to prepare an ordinance that balances public interest that pet owners can feel, the expertise of the veterinary profession, and coexistence cooperation with private animal hospitals.