As the medical vacuum continues for the sixth month and large hospitals across the country are having difficulty operating emergency rooms, the government has announced measures such as operating fever clinics for patients with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, emergency medicine specialists are pointing out that “these measures will not be enough to prevent the imminent emergency medical crisis.”
On the 20th, the Director of Public Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a briefing on emergency room treatment and announced, “Due to the influence of the medical community’s collective action, some emergency medical institutions have temporarily restricted treatment.” According to the Ministry of Welfare, out of 408 emergency medical institutions, 5 (1.2%) have currently restricted treatment in their emergency rooms, and 25 (6.1%) have reduced their beds.
Director Jeong mentioned large hospitals that have temporarily suspended or reduced emergency room operations, which must be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and said, “Chungbuk National University Hospital and Sokcho Medical Center are operating normally, and Cheonan Soonchunhyang University Hospital and Dankook University Hospital are scheduled to return to normal next month.” He also said, “With about 500 residents leaving regional and local emergency medical centers, it will be difficult to provide the same treatment as before,” but added, “Emergency rooms also need to reduce their reliance on residents, and this is currently part of the normalization process.”
However, in a situation where there is a shortage of emergency medical specialists, the number of patients with mild symptoms visiting the emergency room is actually increasing. Director Jeong said, “44% of patients visiting the emergency room are mild, non-emergency patients,” and requested that emergency room beds be given up to severe, emergency patients.
In addition, as the recent resurgence of COVID-19 has become full-blown, the number of COVID-19 patients visiting emergency rooms has increased by about six times, from 2,277 in June to 13,495 last month. This accounts for about 7% of outpatients, and is a factor that is further increasing the burden on emergency rooms. Accordingly, the government has decided to operate fever clinics where COVID-19 confirmed patients can visit at night and on weekends, centered on public hospitals such as local medical centers. It has also decided to expand inpatient treatment of COVID-19 patients by designating cooperative hospitals.
However, there are voices in the medical field saying, “More effective measures are needed.” In the case of Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, which has been operating the emergency room on a limited basis every Thursday this month, four out of 15 emergency room specialists have already quit, and three more are expected to resign next month. An emergency medicine specialist at a university hospital in the metropolitan area expressed concern, saying, “It seems like the government is still taking the situation lightly,” and “Some university hospitals in Seoul are also experiencing difficulties in operating their emergency rooms. There are even places where emergency room visits are restricted to patients other than those at the hospital.”
Reporter Park Seong-min [email protected]
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2024-08-20 21:32:16