COVID-19: International exhibition and conferences canceled

Medical Korea 2020 canceled, government training turns online instead

A number of organizations waited and watched the rapid spread of COVID-19 have decided to call of their key events.

 

The organizers of international exhibitions like annual Medical Korea and international conferences had initially planned to push on with the schedule, but decided to given up on the events due to the concern of the outbreak.

 

According to pharmaceutical industry source on Feb.

 

25, Medical Korea 2020, hosted by Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and organized by Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), has been canceled.

 

Medical Korea is considered as Asia’s biggest healthcare exhibition.

 

The mega healthcare show hosts over 180 companies from China, the U.S., Japan, Russia, CIS, Malaysia, and Singapore and welcomes over 3,000 visitors.

 

Medical Korea organizer stated, “Due to the spread of COVID-19, the infectious disease alert level has gone up to ‘severe.’ The event had to be inevitably canceled.”

The official explained, “The event was not canceled because of reduced number of participating companies and their booths.

 

We hope the participants and visitors would understand the situation as we have put the visitors’ safety first.” Originally scheduled from Mar.

 

19 to 21, Medical Korea was called off, instead of postponed, because it is unclear when COVID-19 would subside.

 

Major international conferences would get postponed or canceled as well.

 

As increasing number of pharmaceutical companies have decided to drop out and Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS) is highly recommending for reschedule, academic societies initially committed to open the events regardless of the situation have eventually changed their minds.

 

▲Academic societies take heavy blow from with KAMS recommendation and drop in booth numbers KAMS issued an official statement recommending international conferences to postpone dates.

 

Officials of KAMS said, “Academic societies should positively review adjusting or postponing planned event schedule for the safety of conference participants.

 

KAMS would not re-deliberate international conferences in Korea that KAMS already reviewed.” Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society (KSES) was insisting on hosting its international conference on Mar.

 

20, regardless of the COVID-19 spreading, but it changed its decision suddenly.

 

KSES official stated, “As the community spread of COVID-19 has been reported though out the country, we have decided the safety and health of conference participants should come first.

 

The 28th spring conference would be tentatively postponed to July 18 and 19.” The disappointing results of recent conferences have reportedly influenced the decision.

 

Korean Society of Cardiometabolic Syndrome (KSCMS) held Asia-Pacific Cardiometabolic Syndrome Congress (APCMS) 2020 on Feb.

 

21, but only a half of expected participants have attended the event fearing the outbreak.

 

Also the unenthusiastic number of booth registration by pharmaceutical companies is affecting the inevitable decision to cancel the event.

 

A pharmaceutical company insider commented, “Employees, not only from Daegu or North Gyeongsang Province, but from all regions are to work from home starting today.

 

Visiting academic conference or hospital requires director’s approval.” The insider hinted, “We are avoiding external work as much as possible as we need to get approval when visiting an event or hospital.

 

Even if we receive a request to participate in academic conference, we either kindly decline the request or send in minimum number of employees for the said reason.” Other pharmaceutical companies are not too different.

 

Another company official explained, “The Compliance Program department is in charge of accepting and registering sales employees for their legal and ethics code compliance training.

 

Since the outbreak, no one has applied for participation in an academic conference.” Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has also postponed group sanitary education to well after April and promoted online class instead as the COVID-19 outbreak alert level has been raised to ‘severe.’ The education class is provided to food business owners for before opening a business and every year from then on.

 

Korean Diabetes Association seminar would be conducted online as well.

 

Concerned of spreading the infection, the association has decided to provide the 23rd Educator’s Seminar online for diabetes educator.s