Seoul National University Hospital Switches to 'Emergency Management', Closes 10 Wards

"Maintain Emergency Medical System to Absolutely Prevent Collapse"

As large hospitals are struggling with management difficulties due to the departure of residents, Seoul National University Hospital declared a 'crisis management system' transition on the 2nd.

On that day, Kim Young-tae, director of Seoul National University Hospital, informed internal members of the transition to the crisis management system through a notice titled ‘To all staff of Seoul National University Hospital Group.’ The notice stated that due to the prolonged absence of residents who left the hospital in protest against the increase in medical school admissions, the hospital would switch to a ‘crisis management system’ and re-examine this year’s allocated budget from scratch.

Medical staff are moving at a university hospital in Seoul on the 28th of last month.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Director Kim said, “I would like to express my gratitude to all staff who are striving for patient safety under the emergency medical system caused by the residents’ treatment gap,” and added, “The difficulties faced by training hospitals, including our hospital, are becoming increasingly severe.” He continued, “Although it may be somewhat inconvenient, I hope for broad understanding for the sake of patient safety,” and “I ask for your understanding and cooperation so that Seoul National University Hospital can continue to play its role as the center of essential medical care in the Republic of Korea.”

[Photo by Seoul National University Hospital]

Earlier, on the 27th of last month, Seoul National University Hospital closed 10 out of about 60 wards. The closed wards included surgery, internal medicine, nephrology, short-term emergency room wards, and the annex of the cancer hospital. Additionally, the limit of the minus account worth 50 billion won was doubled, and unpaid leave applications are being accepted mainly from ward nurses.

As the residents’ absence has prolonged, hospitals have entered crisis management systems. Seoul Asan Medical Center closed 9 out of 56 general wards. Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital emptied 2 out of 19 general wards and is operating some wards in an integrated manner. Nursing staff have also been reassigned to integrated wards for operation. Severance Hospital is considering temporarily integrating 6 out of 75 wards into 3 wards.

Kyung Hee Medical Center, which oversees Kyung Hee University Hospital and Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, is also accepting unpaid leave applications from all general staff, including nurses. Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital switched to a crisis management system on the 1st. Hospital director Park Hyung-guk said, “If the financial difficulties continue for another month or if even the emergency medical system collapses, the hospital’s existence will be at risk.”

In response, some hospital workers, including nurses, have protested that the management difficulties are being passed on to the workers. Representatives of the labor unions of resident training hospitals in the Seoul area held a press conference at Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 1st, stating, “Under the name of ‘crisis management,’ hundreds of healthcare workers are being forced into unpaid leave and unilateral wage cuts along with ward closures,” and urged for a prompt resolution of the situation.