The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi signed a pact Friday to let the United Arab Emirates refer its patients to four medical institutions in Korea.

The four hospitals are Samsung Seoul Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.

This is the first agreement between Korea and another country regarding official referral and transfer of foreign patients. The deal paves the way for patients recommended and directed by Abu Dhabi health authorities to be treated in Korea.

According to the ministry, an increasing number of people in the United Arab Emirates suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes and serious illnesses such as cancer. The average age of Abu Dhabi nationals is 22, but the diabetes rate among them is 22 percent.

However, with just 12 medical facilities in Abu Dhabi, run by foreign medical institutions such as Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic and others, many turn to overseas institutions for treatment.

About 130,000 people from the UAE visit foreign hospitals every year for treatment. The city of Abu Dhabi subsidizes about 3,000 people who seek medical services overseas because they cannot find sufficient treatment at home.

Under the agreement, HAAD will pay medical fees of its approved patients in won currency to the Korean hospitals through the UAE Embassy in Seoul within 45 days of billing. The hospitals are required to obtain approval of the treatment plan in advance and bill the HAAD within six months.

The Korean and UAE governments are opening consultations soon to establish a new department in the UAE Embassy to handle the billing process.

The pact came after the Korean government set out to form medical ties with other countries. In March, the administration signed a memorandum of understanding with health authorities of the UAE, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Envoys from HAAD visited Seoul in June for a field inspection. In October, Korean officials visited Abu Dhabi to draft the agreement.

Abu Dhabi authorities are in the process of selecting their first patient to send to Korea. The patient is expected in Seoul no later than early next year.

The pact is expected to be just the start of the two countries sharing medical experience and service. Also, it could be a springboard for Korea in seeking business opportunities in the Middle East in the fields of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment exports.

“The pact will help the two countries develop into business partners beyond health and medical fields. We hope the Abu Dhabi authorities’ acknowledgement of Korean medical service will open the era of ‘K-Medicine,’” said Chung Ho-won, a health ministry official.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)