Seoul Miz Hospital in Gangdong-gu newly designated, set to open in first half of next year

293 cases treated through September this year, with 43% of patients from outside Seoul

A staged photo of a woman waiting for an OB-GYN appointment. The image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
A staged photo of a woman waiting for an OB-GYN appointment. The image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that Seoul Miz Hospital in Gangdong-gu has been newly designated as a disability-friendly obstetrics and gynecology clinic, bringing the total number of such facilities in the city from three to four.

Disability-friendly OB-GYN clinics are medical institutions designed to help women with disabilities safely and conveniently access care — from pregnancy and childbirth to routine gynecological checkups.

The clinics are equipped with accessibility facilities and medical equipment tailored to the needs of patients with disabilities, and provide assistance throughout the care process to improve access for women who face difficulties using general medical institutions.

The three existing disability-friendly OB-GYN clinics in Seoul are Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital in Yangcheon-gu and Sungae Hospital in Yeongdeungpo-gu.

The three clinics recorded 293 cases through the end of September this year, already surpassing last year's full-year total of 289 cases. The figure also represents a 45 percent increase from the 202 cases recorded in the same period last year, reflecting consistently growing use of medical services among women with disabilities.

By region, 166 cases (56.7 percent) involved Seoul residents, while 127 cases (43.3 percent) came from other cities and provinces. Among out-of-Seoul patients, Gyeonggi Province led with 82 cases, followed by South Chungcheong Province with 21 and Incheon with 14.

Seoul first opened a disability-friendly OB-GYN clinic at Seoul National University Hospital in May 2023, then expanded to Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital in March 2024 and Sungae Hospital in October of the same year. The initiative aims to reduce the difficulties women with disabilities face when navigating general medical institutions and to ensure they can receive ongoing health care beyond pregnancy and childbirth.

"We will continue to expand the disability-friendly medical infrastructure and steadily improve the care environment so that women with disabilities can use the medical services they need more conveniently and safely," said Jo Yeong-chang, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Public Health Bureau.


ken@heraldcorp.com