Seoul Comprehensive Disaster Prevention Center Handles 163,399 Emergency Medical Consultations in First Half of This Year
Hospital and Clinic Guidance Up 17.2%, Disease Consultations Up 14.8%
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Emergency medical consultations at the Seoul Comprehensive Disaster Prevention Center increased by 6.9% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. In particular, information provision such as hospital and clinic guidance and disease consultations increased by 17% and 15%, respectively.
On the 28th, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters analyzed and announced statistics on emergency medical consultations received via 119 in the first half of this year. The total number of emergency medical consultations at the Seoul Comprehensive Disaster Prevention Center in the first half of this year was 163,399 cases, an increase of 10,532 cases (6.9%) compared to the previous year.
Information provision such as hospital and clinic guidance and disease consultations increased by 17.2% and 14.8%, respectively, while treatment guidance provided to callers for emergency care before the arrival of the 119 ambulance team decreased by 25.7%.
Additionally, medical guidance cases by emergency medical doctors assigned to the center for appropriate treatment of severe patients such as cardiac arrest increased by 38.5%. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, consultations such as hospital and clinic guidance conducted remotely increased, but emergency care attempts by bystanders at the scene before the arrival of the 119 ambulance team decreased.
Furthermore, from February 26, when vaccinations began, to July 3, vaccine-related consultations totaled 5,286 cases, accounting for 4.5% of the total 116,633 consultations during the same period. Vaccine-related consultations, which started on February 26, were 194 cases in the first five weeks but continuously increased, surging to 2,305 cases during the three weeks from June 13 to July 3.
Regarding clinical symptoms after vaccination, fever (chills) consultations were the highest at 1,125 cases (21.9%), followed by rash, redness, and itching consultations at 743 cases (14.5%), general weakness and dizziness at 504 cases (9.8%), and muscle pain at 454 cases (8.8%).
Choi Tae-young, head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, “As the COVID-19 situation is exacerbated by the heatwave, we are thoroughly operating the 119 call reception and consultation system to protect citizens’ health and safety.” He added, “We will continue to do our best to respond more quickly and resolve citizens’ urgent requests.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
