'Doctor Strike' Concerns During Seol Holiday...Check Open Hospitals and Clinics Here

Check via Emergency Medical Portal App, 129, 119, and 120 Call Centers

During the Lunar New Year holiday period, an average of 7,881 medical institutions open daily to serve emergency patients.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 8th that from the 9th to the 12th of this month, an average of 524 emergency rooms, 227 public health centers, and 2,801 private medical institutions will be providing medical services daily. Additionally, 4,329 pharmacies will operate on an emergency basis, totaling 7,881 locations open.

Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare

The 524 emergency room operating institutions will provide 24-hour care as usual during the holiday period. Even on Lunar New Year’s Day, when many private medical institutions close, some public health institutions including health centers will continue to provide medical services.

On the 10th, Lunar New Year’s Day, 524 emergency room institutions, 202 public health institutions such as health centers, 867 private medical institutions including hospitals and clinics, and 2,005 pharmacies will be open.

Information on hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies open during the Lunar New Year holiday can be obtained through the Emergency Medical Portal, Emergency Medical Information Service (E-Gen) app, Health and Welfare Call Center (129), Emergency Situation Management Center (119), and City/Province Call Centers (120). It can also be checked on the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s website.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and local governments will operate emergency medical situation rooms during the holiday to ensure the emergency medical system functions without interruption by monitoring the operation status of open hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies.

Furthermore, the Central Emergency Medical Situation Room monitors disaster situations 24/7 throughout the year, including the Lunar New Year holiday, and the disaster medical support teams at health centers and 43 disaster base hospitals nationwide maintain readiness to dispatch in case of mass casualty incidents.

During last year’s Lunar New Year holiday, the number of patients visiting emergency medical centers was approximately 90,000. This figure is about 1.2 to 1.6 times higher compared to the average daily patient visits.

Looking at emergency medical center visits by disease, during the three days before and after Lunar New Year’s Day, visits for gastroenteritis increased by 2.9 times, abdominal pain by 1.7 times, and colds by 1.5 times compared to the average.

Jeong Tongryeong, Director of Public Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "Emergency patients can receive prompt treatment at emergency rooms at any time. However, since the number of emergency room visits is expected to increase during the Lunar New Year holiday, we ask that patients with non-emergency mild symptoms check and use hospitals, clinics, or health centers operating during the holiday period rather than visiting emergency rooms whenever possible."