'119 Online Emergency Call' Protecting Overseas Koreans During Overseas Stay and Sailing

Overseas Koreans' Emergency Medical Consultations Reached 2,617 Cases Last Year, Up 14.9%
Guidance Texts Sent to 179 Countries Worldwide... 24-Hour Specialist Medical Consultations
Consultations, Emergency Treatment, and Medication Guidance Provided for Disease or Injury from Disasters and Accidents
Land-Based Consultation Requests Decreased Due to COVID-19, While Maritime Demand Increased

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] #In March last year, a crew member on board the large vessel A, which was sailing from Incheon, suffered severe burns on his thigh from hot steam while working on the deck. Although initial first aid was administered immediately with running water, it was still a week before the ship could dock on land. The vessel requested emergency medical consultation from 119 to receive guidance on additional treatment and medication prescriptions. An emergency medicine specialist working at the Central 119 Ambulance Situation Management Center diagnosed the injury after receiving photos and provided instructions on dressing methods to prevent infection. Following the doctor's guidance, the injured crew member took painkillers and antibiotics and received continuous wound care on board until docking, recovering without any aftereffects.

#Around the same time, Mr. B, a Korean in his 40s living in New Zealand, experienced symptoms of stroke, including blurred consciousness, slurred speech, and diplopia (seeing multiple images). Noticing this, a friend of Mr. B contacted Korea’s 119 for emergency medical consultation, and through communication with the Central 119 Ambulance Situation Management Center, it was identified as stroke symptoms. Mr. B was quickly transferred to a hospital via the local consulate and received specialized emergency treatment.

The National Fire Agency announced on the 22nd that the number of cases where Korean nationals residing abroad contacted 119 for medical consultations in emergencies, known as the ‘Overseas Korean 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Service,’ totaled 2,617 last year. This represents a 14.9% (340 cases) increase compared to 2,277 cases in 2019.

The Overseas Korean 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Service was initiated based on the state’s duty to protect its nationals abroad. It is a system that allows overseas travelers or maritime vessel workers who fall ill or are injured in foreign countries to receive medical consultations from emergency medicine specialists working 24/7 at the National Fire Agency’s Central Ambulance Situation Center via phone or online. Originally provided by the Busan Fire Headquarters since 2012 for deep-sea fishing vessel crew and cruise passengers, the service has been directly operated by the National Fire Agency since July 2018 and expanded in November of the same year to cover all overseas Koreans, not just those at sea.

The National Fire Agency, with cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Call Center, sends informational text messages to 197 countries worldwide to facilitate convenient use of the 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Service by overseas travelers. It also provides information on local hospitals abroad and offers dispatch and result notification services of 119 ambulance teams when domestic families request safety confirmation of their relatives overseas. Any Korean national can receive 24-hour disease consultation, emergency treatment, and medication guidance overseas via phone (+82-44-320-0119), email (central119ems@korea.kr), the website (119.go.kr), or the KakaoTalk channel ‘National Fire Agency Emergency Medical Consultation.’

Additionally, since July last year, the National Fire Agency launched the ‘National Fire Agency Maritime Emergency Medical Consultation Service’ using KakaoTalk friend addition, which shortens consultation times and improves accessibility for overseas vessels with poor communication. From August, one month later, this service has been expanded to provide emergency medical consultations for overseas construction site workers and others.

Thanks to these service improvements, the number of overseas Korean emergency medical consultations increased by nearly 15% compared to the previous year. Of all consultations, 68.9% (1,802 cases) were medical consultations, 11.4% (299 cases) were medication guidance, and 11.0% (288 cases) were treatment instructions.

In particular, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and its prolonged nature, overseas departures decreased, leading to a significant drop in consultation requests on land, while requests from maritime settings increased. With various reporting methods such as phone, internet, and KakaoTalk being utilized, the National Fire Agency anticipates a continuous rise in medical consultations for vessel crew who must navigate the seas for extended periods.

An official from the National Fire Agency stated, "Given the conditions on ships where rapid hospital treatment is impossible, the maritime emergency medical consultation service, which provides assistance ranging from relatively simple disease consultations to treatment guidance for severe emergency patients, is expected to see sustained demand."

They added, "Although the global spread of COVID-19 may cause psychological anxiety among overseas workers and nationals traveling abroad, we will comprehensively expand the Overseas Korean 119 Emergency Medical Consultation Service to ensure that any Korean national can respond swiftly in emergencies and that no medical blind spots occur."