Gyeonggi Province is establishing a regional trauma system that connects emergency treatment at regional trauma cooperative hospitals, rapid transport via helicopter, and final treatment at regional trauma centers to reduce the mortality rate of severe trauma patients. This system will begin operation in October this year.
According to Gyeonggi Province on the 27th, the province recently expanded the number of regional trauma cooperative hospitals from two to eight and is currently preparing transport and treatment guidelines for the area in collaboration with the Gyeonggi Trauma System Support Group and the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters.
This project, which is a key pillar of the Gyeonggi regional trauma system, aims to reduce the mortality rate of severe trauma patients by improving the transport system for such patients.
In particular, the goal is to reduce the medical disparity between the southern and northern regions by expanding regional trauma cooperative hospitals, focusing on emergency medical vulnerable areas and the northeastern region where medical infrastructure is insufficient.
Currently, in Gyeonggi Province, Ajou University Hospital (southern region) and Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital (northern region) operate as regional trauma centers specializing in severe trauma treatment, one in each of the southern and northern parts of Gyeonggi.
Additionally, eight hospitals including Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Icheon Hospital, Paju Hospital, Anseong Hospital, Pocheon Hospital, Hwaseong Central General Hospital, Hwaseong DS Hospital, Yangpyeong Hospital, and Yeoncheon County Health Medical Center will serve as regional trauma cooperative hospitals.
Except for Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Icheon Hospital and Paju Hospital, the other six hospitals were newly designated as regional trauma cooperative hospitals in June this year.
Regional trauma cooperative hospitals play the role of maintaining the airway and providing urgent treatment to prevent death during long-distance transport of severe trauma patients, then transferring the patients to regional trauma centers via helicopter or ambulance.
Locations with a high incidence of severe trauma patients but where land transport to regional trauma centers is difficult or emergency medical infrastructure is weak have been designated.
Um Won-ja, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Health and Medical Department, stated, "We will support the stable operation of the regional trauma treatment system connecting 119 emergency medical teams, regional trauma cooperative hospitals, and regional trauma centers, and plan to discover and expand blind spots in trauma treatment."
Gyeonggi Province has strengthened the regional trauma system, including regional trauma centers, regional trauma cooperative hospitals, 119 emergency services, and doctor helicopters, reducing the preventable trauma mortality rate in northern Gyeonggi from 16% in 2020 to the provincial average of around 12%.
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