[Focus on Seoul City Administration] Seoul City-Daegu·Gyeongbuk 'COVID-19' Hotline Established

Information Exchange and Patient Transport Support

Medical staff at Seoul Medical Center, designated as a dedicated hospital for COVID-19, undergo protective gear training. (Provided by Seoul Medical Center)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreads, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is establishing a hotline connecting Daegu and Gyeongbuk. This is to provide immediate support when needed.

According to Seoul City on the 28th, the hotline will be composed of Na Baek-ju, Director of the Seoul Citizen Health Bureau, Park Yu-mi, Director of the Health and Medical Policy Division, officials from Daegu City's Medical Resource Management Bureau, and professors from Kyungpook National University School of Medicine.

Through this hotline, Seoul will receive information related to COVID-19 confirmed patients in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk areas and support patient transfers if necessary. Currently, two confirmed patients from Cheongdo Daenam Hospital are hospitalized and receiving treatment at a hospital in Seoul. Although no confirmed patients from Daegu have arrived yet, there are plans to accept more patients in isolation beds upon future requests.

On the 26th, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon stated on his Facebook, "We will welcome severe confirmed patients from Daegu and Gyeongbuk to Seoul municipal hospitals," adding, "We will ensure early treatment through excellent medical professionals, the latest negative pressure beds, and medical equipment."

Additionally, Seoul City has purchased and delivered supplies worth approximately 400 million KRW, including 166,000 masks and 11,500 hand sanitizers, to Daegu and Gyeongbuk respectively.

Meanwhile, as community infections spread, the city is preparing for all crisis situations by securing medical systems and beds. The Seoul Metropolitan Medical Center has been converted from a general hospital to a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. Currently hospitalized general patients are being gradually transferred to other municipal hospitals. Medical staff have entered a 24-hour emergency system and are preparing intensive training on putting on and taking off Level D protective gear, infection prevention education, and practical exercises.

Work is also underway to convert general beds into negative pressure isolation beds using mobile negative pressure devices. Director Na stated, "Patients coming from Daegu will be completely separated from the usual patient transport routes and will be able to go directly to negative pressure rooms."