Soonchunhyang University Hospital said Friday that it would commence work with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to build a hospital that provides critical care services in Iraq.

The International Health Care and Planning Department, which acts as the headquarters of the Iraqi medical sector, held a project meeting at the Korean university Thursday with the attendance of 20 experts.

Experts to work on the Iraqi healthcare project over the next six years gathered for the first project meeting at Soonchunhyang University Hospital Thursday.

The participants discussed mid-term strategy, professional consulting, and capacity development programs, among other items, the hospital said. The project team, staffed with medical faculty from various departments, will conduct 10 bi-annual local training sessions and five invitational training sessions, it added.

The program, titled the “project of the organizational capacity building for critical care service in the medical city of Iraq,” aims to build a specialized hospital in the Baghdad Medical City, which provides critical care and strengthens the quality of medical care in the region. The medical city is a complex of eight hospitals.

KOICA will provide $36 million in funding for the project over the next five years as part of the agency’s official development assistance program. KOICA’s ODA program aims to help rebuild state systems in developing countries based on Korea's experience nation-building, the agency said. The ODA program has made significant contributions to countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, according to KOICA.

“The Iraqi Critical Care Hospital Project is a precious and historical project regarding both duration and budget,” said Professor Lee Woo-ryoung of Soonchunhyang’s department of pediatrics who also serves as the project manager. "We will contribute to solidifying bilateral cooperative relationship by transferring know-how accumulated in various countries.”

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