Hospital places 27th worldwide in respiratory care and 92nd in pediatrics, entering the global top 100 in the latter category for the first time; only Incheon medical institution to rank in four clinical fields; earns top five-ribbon rating in patient-reported outcomes
Inha University Hospital has ranked fifth in South Korea in both respiratory and pediatric care in Newsweek's "World's Best Specialized Hospitals 2027" rankings.
The hospital is the only Incheon-based medical institution to appear in this year's evaluation.
Inha University Hospital earned global recognition in four clinical fields: respiratory care (5th in Korea, 27th worldwide), pediatrics (5th in Korea, 92nd worldwide), gastroenterology (10th in Korea, 157th worldwide) and oncology (14th in Korea, 217th worldwide).
Newsweek compiles its annual specialty rankings by combining peer recommendations from medical professionals abroad, hospital accreditation assessments and patient satisfaction scores.
The most notable improvement came in respiratory care, where the hospital climbed eight spots from 35th worldwide last year to break into the global top 30.
The pulmonology department was credited for its ongoing research into therapeutic biomarkers and for recently becoming the third facility in the greater Seoul area — and the first in Incheon — to adopt the Ion robotic bronchoscopy system, significantly improving the precision of lung cancer diagnosis.
The pediatrics ranking also rose sharply, climbing 24 places from 116th worldwide last year to enter the global top 100 for the first time.
Inha University Hospital has built a comprehensive critical pediatric care system by operating a specialized pediatric emergency medical center, a children's public specialty care center and a regional maternal and child health center.
In 2024, it opened a five-bed pediatric intensive care unit — the first of its kind in Incheon and the northwestern Gyeonggi Province area — helping to fill a critical gap in severe pediatric care for the region.
In oncology, the hospital climbed 25 places from last year to rank 217th worldwide, backed by top-tier adequacy ratings for major cancers including stomach, lung, colorectal and breast cancer. In gastroenterology, it entered the global rankings for the first time this year, coming in at 157th.
Inha University Hospital also received the top five-ribbon rating in the patient-reported outcome measures category, in which patients directly assess their treatment progress and changes in quality of life.
Only 13 institutions worldwide have earned the top rating in that category, and just two are in South Korea, including Inha University Hospital.
"Our efforts to concentrate capabilities in essential medical care and serious illnesses that the community truly needs have borne fruit," hospital director Lee Taek said. "We will continue to expand patient-centered medical infrastructure to deliver world-class healthcare services."
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
