Government to hold ‘Emergency Response Week for Chuseok Holiday’ from September 11 to 25,
Medical staff entering the emergency room of a university hospital in Seoul. Reporter Shin So-young viator@hani.co.kr,
, ‘Concerns about the emergency medical system facing a shortage of manpower ahead of the increasing number of emergency room patients during Chuseok have led the government to operate an ‘Emergency Response Week’.’,
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, ‘On the 28th, Jo Gyu-hong, First Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Central Disaster Headquarters) (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the Central Disaster Headquarters meeting held at the government office in Seoul, “There are concerns about patients flooding emergency rooms at neighborhood medical institutions during the Chuseok holiday.” He added, “The government has designated about a 2-week period from September 11 to 25, before and after the Chuseok holiday, as the ‘Emergency Response Week for Chuseok Holiday’ and will implement concentrated support measures for emergency medical care.”‘,
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, ‘The government plans to operate duty medical clinics at more than 4,000 locations during Chuseok, more than in a typical holiday period, and activate emergency treatment systems by military hospitals, public medical institutions, and specialized hospitals. The temporary increase in emergency room examination fees will be applied to 408 emergency medical institutions and expanded to 112 facilities to induce the dispersion of mild patients. Additionally, there are plans to further increase emergency room specialist examination fees from the existing 150% increase.’,
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, ‘Incentives will also be provided to medical institutions. The government plans to increase fees for surgeries, treatments, etc., for patients who are admitted after visiting the emergency room, in order to enhance the capacity to treat severe emergency patients. Evaluating criteria such as overall patient admission rates during the ‘Emergency Response Week for Chuseok Holiday’ to provide additional support to medical institutions is also under discussion. To manage severe emergency patients, some regional and local emergency medical centers will be designated as ‘Emergency Rooms for Severe Cases,’ with plans to operate at least one temporary location in each of the 29 regions.’,
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, ‘First Deputy Head Jo Gyu-hong stated, “Prompt measures will be taken in September to increase patient copayments for minor and non-emergency patients so that emergency centers can focus on treating severe patients.”‘,
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