Two More COVID-19 Dedicated Hospitals Added, Totaling Four... 600 Beds Installed (Update)

On the 3rd, medical staff at Seoul Metropolitan Seobuk Hospital in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, are guiding a citizen to the COVID-19 patient ward. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The government has designated two additional COVID-19 dedicated hospitals to secure treatment beds for severe and critical COVID-19 patients.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 7th that Namyangju Hanyang Hospital and Hyemin Hospital have been designated as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals, medical institutions that utilize all beds for treating COVID-19 patients, bringing the total number of such hospitals to four.

Previously, Pyeongtaek Bakae Hospital and Osong Bestian Hospital were designated as dedicated hospitals.

The headquarters plans to install approximately 600 COVID-19 treatment beds, including severe and semi-severe beds, at the two hospitals.

The headquarters explained, "We plan to continuously identify COVID-19 dedicated hospitals to secure severe and semi-severe beds."

Additionally, compared to a week ago on the 30th of last month, the headquarters has secured an additional total of 1,304 beds (including residential treatment center beds), such as 100 dedicated beds for critically ill COVID-19 patients and 930 beds in infectious disease dedicated hospitals.

Accordingly, as of today, the domestic COVID-19 beds consist of a total of 17,078 residential treatment center beds, 11,829 infectious disease dedicated hospital beds, 623 semi-severe and severe beds, and 1,254 dedicated beds for critically ill patients.

The headquarters added, "A total of 21,083 beds have been added compared to the previous year, including the expansion of 576 critical care beds."