Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital

Upon signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Hallym University Medical Center (HUMC) and U.S. Medical Department Activities, Korea (U.S. MEDDAC-Korea), this article has been summarized, translated and sent to the U.S. MEDDAC-Korea on January 29, 2009: -Ed.

Dr. Duck-Sun Yoon, Founder of Nation's 1st Blood Bank

The following story about the establishment of Korea's first blood bank by the late Dr. Duck-Sun Yoon, Honorary Chairman of the Ilsong Educational Foundation, is an excerpt from two books titled, 'The History of Blood Donation Movement in Korea,' and 'The 20-year History of the Korean Society of Blood Transfusion (KSBT).'

1. History of Blood Donation Movement in Korea

The first private blood bank in Korea was open at Paik Hospital by Dr. Duck-Sun Yoon, a general surgeon of Paik Hospital, who had been trained at the 121 Hospital of the 8th U.S. Army to run a blood bank in his hospital. The hospital then enjoyed a nationwide reputation for its general surgery with four or five, and at times more than 10 abdominal operations. Securing enough blood for those operations, however, remained a big problem.

Dr. Yoon thought the only solution to this problem lay in establishing a facility at the hospital to supply blood on its own. He started a working-level training at the 121 Hospital of 8th U.S. Army, and later opened a blood bank at Paik Hospital.

At first, the bank used to turn to the U.S. military hospital for blood, but it was gradually able to meet the demand by buying blood from the people. Dr. Yoon was fully in charge of the whole process of blood collecting and testing, before having his staff at the laboratory handle it later on.

But the blood bank at Paik Hospital had only a minimum level of facilities to collect, store and test blood. Even though the National Blood Service (NBS) was normally offering blood to other hospitals in the nation, it was far from being enough to fully satisfy the blood demand. As requests from other hospitals were pouring into Paik Hospital for blood, the hospital sometimes had no other choice but to provide them with blood.

The opening of the private blood bank at Paik Hospital for the first time in Korea bears a great significance in that it was followed by the establishment of the Service. It is much more meaningful to learn that most of the other hospitals in Korea chose to get blood from the NBS, and the National Red Cross (NRC), whereas Paik Hospital was proactive in training surgeons, and opening its own blood bank to become a trailblazer for many domestic private blood banks that followed suit.

2. 20- Year History of the Korean Society of Blood Transfusion (KSBT)

The concept of transfusion medicine was first introduced to Korea by the U.S. Army during the Korean War (1950-1953). Korean military surgeons then were able to get a training at the American army hospital.

The National Blood Service was established in 1954 by the Korean government which was realigned into the Republic of Korea National Red Cross (KNRC) Blood Service in 1957. However, the first Korean blood bank, a private one, was set up by Dr. Duck-Sun Yoon at Inje University Paik Hospital in 1954.

* "The Way of the Hidden Giant", Posthumous Work of the Late Dr. Duck-Sun Yoon

The collection explains why Dr. Yoon tried to build the blood bank at the private hospital.

Studying Pathology & Preserved Blood at Evacuation Hospital

"I observed American military surgeons performing operations at the hospital, and could learn how to produce preservation solutions of blood. Provision of blood is a must for any surgeons. When we needed blood transfusion at that time, we had to transfuse blood to patients immediately after filling up to 5cc of citric acid as a solvent into a 100cc-syringe and taking blood according to blood types. For about one year at the U.S. 121 Evacuation Hospital, I learned preserved pathology and preserved blood. Once a week at the Korean Liaison Office (KLO), I transfused blood to patients and collected blood donated by the U.S. soldiers. I was able to establish the first blood bank equipped with refrigerators and vacuum bottles and a variety of laboratory reagents provided by the director of 121 the evacuation hospital and chief of the medical department."

Since then, the American-Korean Foundation invited Dr. Yoon to go to Bridgeport Hospital, Connecticut, in August, 1954, to study pathology with a towering ambition of creating a giant medical center in Korea like Mayo Clinic of the U.S.

His long-held dream has always served as a prime mover for Hallym University Medical Center (HUMC) to become one of Korea's medical leaders today consisting of five general hospitals and one dental hospital with a total capacity of 3,200 beds.

By Young-hee Han & Jonghun Im, Int'l Operations Team, HUMC