Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Medical check-up for soldiers brightens ‘powerful future’ for the army

98% of soldiers benefited from health counselling for privates and check-up for corporals

In the last year, severe diseases were found in their early stage and timely treated in 500 soldiers

During a health counseling session that was given right after he joined the army, a tumor was discovered on Private Jung, who has spent six months in the service as part of the 28th Division. Private Jung was able to recover his health after having surgery at the army hospital.

During the health counseling early this year, Jung was diagnosed with benign neoplasms of mediastinum, a non-metastatic tumor inside the chest, through a CT scan. He is now fully recovered and doing his duty after the surgery.  

Also, Corporals Lee and Shin, from 53rd Division, who had checkups in July and November, respectively, were diagnosed with congenital heart malformation through an in-depth medical examination and underwent an operation at the army hospital, after abnormal findings were detected during an X-ray examination of the chest.

The disease and health management system the army has managed since 2013, which includes health counseling for privates and medical checkups for corporals, has resulted in many positive outcomes.

On May 16, a spokesperson for the Medical Office of the Army headquarters said that they have detected diseases like pneumonia, spinal diseases, tumors and more in early stage for about 500 soldiers, and these soldiers were able to receive the proper treatment in time.

The disease and health management system is a medical service provided by the army to help soldiers maintain or improve their health, from when they join the army until they are discharged.

For privates, an army surgeon provides one-to-one health counseling for privates who are transferred within three months, just like a primary doctor, and if necessary, will refer the private to a  doctor in a hospital to guarantee the soldier’s right to get medical treatment.

For medical checkups for corporals who are in the middle of their service period, a division class medical corps and the army hospital run 22 tests such as general checkups in accordance with the National Health Insurance Act, such as breast radiography, oral examination, blood and uroscopy, etc. three months after the corporals are promoted. The army conducts tracking management, including re-examination and thorough medical checkups, based on the results of the tests, to detect diseases in early stages, and helps soldiers to enjoy a healthy military life with links to the health promotion project such as lifestyle improvement, etc.

In 2015 alone, 390,000 soldiers benefited from the health counseling and medical checkups. This means that over 98% of the soldiers for the counseling and checkups were benefited from them.

2,200 privates out of 180,000 who underwent medical counseling received additional treatments, and in 520 cases diseases such as pneumonia, spinal diseases, tumors, etc. were discovered in early stage and given treatments in time. They have all either fully recovered or are still receiving health care.

65 corporals out of 210,000 were hospitalized after re-examination and a thorough physical examination based on the result of the checkups, and 10 of them were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (a malignant hepatic tumor), thyroid cancer, septal defects of heart (congenital heart malformation), leukemia, intracerebral hemorrhage or lupus nephritis (an inflammation of the kidneys caused by systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease of the autoimmune system) in early stage and underwent treatment.

Colonel Kwon Myung-ok, head of the medical management division of the Army headquarters, said, “A soldier's health is directly connected to our army's fighting power. By focusing on prevention and treatment as well as tailored health promotion activities, we will strive to promote our disease and health management system more effectively.”

By Seok-Jong, Lee < seokjong@dema.mil.kr >
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