"Doubling Mental Emergency Cases"... Gangnam-gu Operates '24-Hour Public Beds'

Sharp Increase in Psychiatric Emergencies but Shortage of Hospital Beds
Mentoseu Hospital Collaborates with Police and Fire Department to Establish Response System

Gangnam-gu signed a business agreement with Mentos Hospital, Gangnam Police Station, Suseo Police Station, and Gangnam Fire Station at the district office on the 27th to establish a rapid response system for mental emergencies. Photo center: Jo Seong-myeong, District Mayor. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

Gangnam-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) announced on the 28th that it will officially operate the '24-hour Mental Emergency Public Bed' starting next month.

Mental emergency situations refer to cases where psychiatric disorders acutely manifest or worsen, posing threats to the safety and health of the patient or others. Going forward, the district will establish a mental emergency response council with the police, fire stations, and others to carry out emergency dispatch, hospitalization, and follow-up management.

Gangnam-gu signed a business agreement the day before at the district office with Mentos Hospital (Director Yoon Seung-hyun), Gangnam Police Station (Chief Kim Dong-su), Suseo Police Station (Chief Kim Chang-young), and Gangnam Fire Station (Chief Kim Heung-gon) to establish a rapid response system for mental emergency situations.

According to this agreement, the district will manage the overall mental emergency public bed project and support operating expenses for public beds in medical institutions. Gangnam and Suseo Police Stations and Gangnam Fire Station will be responsible for on-site dispatch during crisis situations, assessing risks of self-harm or harm to others, emergency rescue, and transport support.

Mentos Hospital, participating in the agreement, will operate the 24-hour public bed and provide appropriate treatment services according to the type of hospitalization when admitting patients. After discharge, patients will be registered at the Mental Health Welfare Center for case management and rehabilitation program support.

Until now, when emergency dispatch occurred, cases were referred to the Seoul Mental Emergency Joint Response Center or hospital beds available for direct admission on-site were sought, but as the number of emergency dispatches and hospitalized patients increased, securing hospital beds has become increasingly difficult.

Moreover, there is only one general hospital in Gangnam-gu capable of emergency admission, which is grossly insufficient, and since it is not a designated psychiatric medical institution where psychiatric patients can receive continuous inpatient treatment after emergency admission, patients must be transferred to hospitals in other districts.

The district has partnered with Mentos Hospital, a specialized medical institution located in Dongdaemun-gu, to secure one bed and support its operating expenses. After applying for and being selected in Seoul City's mental emergency public bed operation public contest project in April, the district can receive 50% of the operating expenses from national funds. Related ordinance amendments for public bed operation were promoted and approved at the district council plenary session on the 24th, and the ordinance will be promulgated on the 12th of next month to begin full implementation.

Meanwhile, the number of mental emergency hospitalization referrals has increased annually, doubling from 37 cases in 2022 to 79 cases last year, and is expected to increase further.

District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong stated, "Although there were difficulties in securing beds due to the increasing occurrence of mental emergency situations, the securing of 24-hour public beds now enables prompt hospitalization and treatment," adding, "We will strengthen the response system with related organizations and enhance the mental health safety net in the local community."