The cost of treating COVID-19 patients at medical facilities in the nation have amounted to nearly 900 billion won since the pandemic began in 2020. 

Kang Do-tae, the president of the National Health Insurance Service, at a press conference on Tuesday said that a total sum of 869-point-one billion won has been paid to medical institutions for treating around 293-thousand patients as of November 30 of last year. 

NHIS funded 85-point-six percent of the cost, or 743-point-nine billion won. 

By year, 223-point-three billion won was incurred as COVID treatment costs in 2020, but the figure nearly tripled in 2021 to 645-point-eight billion won. 

An average three-point-08 million won was spent in treating a single patient, with the NHIS covering some two-point-63 million won of that sum.