Travelling electric vehicle "Medical Bus” launched for Healthcare Services

Busan City launched a customized health care service vehicle "Medical Bus", which visits people by applying advanced ICT such as artificial intelligence and cloud, to provide high-quality medical services by connecting base hospitals and visiting sites in real-time for the medically vulnerable.

The "Medical Bus" has been organized by Busan City to respond to the increase in demand for public medical services from the vulnerable due to the increase in the elderly population and the prolonged COVID-19.

The "Medical Bus" is equipped with professional inspection equipment such as mobile ultrasound and X-ray by remodeling an eco-friendly electric bus and serves as a "visiting health care service platform" where professional medical staff such as doctors and nurses provide customized medical services including health checkups, counseling, and education. In addition, if necessary, remote counseling will also be conducted with the hospital's medical staff through patient information sharing.

The "Medical Bus” is operated by adding donations from Busan Bank, Hyundai Motor Company, Korea Housing-Finance Corporation, and Korea Housing&Urban Guarantee Corporation to the budget of Busan City.

Busan City plans to operate two medical buses in the first half of this year and add one more vehicle in the second half of this year so that a total of three medical buses will reach medically vulnerable groups at places such as day and night care centers in all areas of Busan.

Pusan National University Hospital and Haeundae Bumin Hospital were selected as medical bus operating institutions in January, and additional operating institutions will be selected through a public offering process in May.

The visiting health care service "Medical Bus," the first case of using eco-friendly electric buses as medical vehicles, is expected to contribute to forming a new healthcare paradigm for the medically vulnerable, by combining advanced ICT such as Hyundai Motor's automotive technology, artificial intelligence, and cloud.

Reported by Smart City Today