Chonnam National University Hospital Receives Continuous Encouragement from Various Sectors for 'COVID-19 Prevention'

Catholic Gwangju Archdiocese Donates 300 Sets of Health Drinks

‘Durecheonggwa’ Fruits and ‘Teolbo-ui Noliteo’ Coffee Provided

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Encouragement from various sectors of the local community continues to pour in for Jeonnam National University Hospital (Director Lee Sam-yong), which is making every effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

According to Jeonnam National University Hospital on the 4th, recently, the produce industry, religious groups, and coffee industry have donated various food items as a token of gratitude and support to the medical staff working on the "front lines" of COVID-19 containment, including the nationally designated negative pressure isolation wards, screening clinics, and emergency rooms at Jeonnam National University Hospital.

Encouraging phone calls from local residents are also continuing to the Jeonnam National University Hospital call center, which handles hospital phone guidance and consultations.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju (Archbishop Kim Hee-jung) gifted 300 sets of health drinks through Father Ham Kyung-ju Augustino of the Jeonnam National University Hospital chaplaincy office the day before.

Father Ham Kyung-ju Augustino stated, “I express my gratitude to the medical staff and employees who are working tirelessly, almost 24 hours a day, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health of local residents.”

Director Lee Sam-yong said, “Encouraged by such support from the local community, we will do our best as a regional base hospital to prevent further spread of local infections.”

Earlier, on the 28th of last month, Dure Cheonggwa Co., Ltd., a wholesale market corporation for agricultural and marine products in the western district of Gwangju Metropolitan City, gifted fruits such as bananas and tangerines as snacks for the medical staff working under extreme tension at the screening clinics.

Also, “Teolbo’s Coffee Playground” (President Choi Young-jin), a coffee processing company in Dongmyeong-dong, informed the hospital that starting from the 9th, they will provide about 700 cups of coffee once a week for the medical staff until the end of COVID-19.

President Choi Young-jin said, “Although sales have decreased due to the impact of COVID-19, I wanted to send strong encouragement to the medical staff who are treating and testing patients while wearing protective suits, as seen through the media. Above all, in honor of my mother who passed away from a lung disease two years ago, I decided to provide coffee as a social enterprise with the intention of giving back to society.”

Encouragement from local residents through phone calls is also ongoing.

The hospital call center receives an average of 5 to 6 encouraging calls daily, with messages such as “You are working very hard,” “You look tired; it would be good to rotate shifts more often,” and “Please stay strong until COVID-19 ends.”

Meanwhile, since the Lunar New Year holiday, Jeonnam National University Hospital has proactively responded to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by forming a rapid response team, installing screening clinics, and controlling entrances. As the alert level increased, they have implemented strengthened quarantine measures such as installing fever detectors, completely restricting hospital visits, and conducting surveys for all visitors.