Differentiate between general clinics and polyclinics

1. General clinic

a. Concept

A general  clinic is a form of private clinic, performing medical examination and treatment activities in order to ensure health care and disease treatment to a certain extent within the scope of permitted professional activities.

b. Type

General  clinics, including: General internal medicine clinic; Outpatient clinic; Obstetrics and gynecology clinic; Clinics general  in andrology; Dental clinic - jaw - face; Ear - nose - throat specialist clinic; Ophthalmology clinic; Aesthetic specialist clinic;…

c. Conditions for opening a general clinic

- Certificate of business registration or investment license as prescribed by law for other medical examination and treatment establishments.

- Operating license for medical examination and treatment establishments.

- Conditions for granting operating licenses for general clinics:

• Infrastructure:

  • A fixed location, separate from the place of family activities, ensures sufficient light, has dust-proof ceilings, walls and floors must use materials that are easy to clean and sanitize.

  • A general  clinic must have a medical examination and treatment room (minimum 10 m2), a place to receive patients (except for a health consultation clinic or a room for health consultation via information technology and telecommunications means). In addition, for certain specialties, the general  clinic must have additional rooms and special rooms and must meet the requirements on area according to certain conditions of the law.

  • A separate sterilization area must be provided for the handling of reusable medical instruments.

  • Ensure the conditions for radiation safety, medical waste treatment, fire prevention and fighting according to the provisions of law; ensure sterility for the procedure room.

  • There is enough electricity, water and other conditions to serve and take care of the sick.

• Medical equipment:

  • Except for the case that the health consulting clinic or the health consulting room through the means of information technology, telecommunications must have enough information technology facilities, telecommunications, and equipment suitable to the scope of registered activities, other clinics are required to have.

  • Having enough medical equipment and instruments suitable to the scope of professional activities.

  • There is a box of anti-shock medicine and enough general  emergency medicine.

• Person in charge of technical expertise:

  • Being a doctor with a practicing certificate in accordance with the specialty registered by the clinic.

  • Having at least 54 months of medical examination and treatment in that specialty.

2. Polyclinic

a. Concept

A polyclinic is a healthcare facility that is primarily for outpatient care or in other words, a general clinic is a type of hospital that provides diagnosis or treatment of a general community where the patient usually does not stay overnight. Clinics can be privately run and publicly managed, formed by funding, and often include the primary health care services of the local community, as opposed to large hospitals where they perform general  treatments and provide overnight stays to inpatients.

b. Characteristics

The clinic is run by one or more general practitioners or physiotherapists. Some clinics are operated by employers, government organizations or hospitals, and some clinical services are outside of private companies, specializing in the provision of medical services.

c. Conditions for issuance of operating licenses for polyclinics

- Size of polyclinic:

• Having at least 02 out of 04 specialties of internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and paediatrics.

• There is a subclinical department (laboratory and diagnostic imaging).

- Infrastructure:

• There is an emergency room, a patient room, a general  clinic and a minor surgery room (if minor surgery is performed).

• Clinics in a polyclinic must have enough space to perform general techniques.

- Medical equipment: There are anti-shock medicine boxes and enough general  emergency drugs.

- Personnel:

The number of medical examination and treatment doctors practicing organically must reach at least 50% of the total number of Korean doctors.

- Conditions for issuance of operating licenses for polyclinics:

• Size of polyclinic:

  • Having at least 02 out of 04 specialties of internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and paediatrics.

  • There is a subclinical department (laboratory and diagnostic imaging).

• Infrastructure:

  • There is an emergency room, a patient room, a general  clinic and a minor surgery room (if minor surgery is performed).

  • Clinics in a polyclinic must have enough space to perform general  techniques.

• Medical equipment: There are anti-shock medicine boxes and enough general  emergency drugs.

• Personnel:

  • The number of medical examination and treatment doctors practicing organically must reach at least 50% of the total number of doctors practicing medical examination and treatment of the polyclinic.

  • Persons in charge of general  clinics and paraclinical (testing and imaging) sections of the polyclinic must be full-time employees at the medical examination and treatment clinic of the polyclinic. 

  • The person in charge of the general  clinics and the paraclinical (testing and imaging) department of the General Clinic must be a full-time employee at the clinic.