Presidential Office Assures "Manageable Situation... No Medical Paralysis" Amid Emergency Room Crisis Concerns

"Among 408 Emergency Institutions Nationwide, Partial Restrictions at 3 Locations"
"Local Governments and Others Step Up Staffing... Problem to Be Resolved Soon"
"No Medical Paralysis Even If Health and Medical Workers' Union Strikes"

A paramedic is transporting a patient in front of the emergency room of a large hospital in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office explained that in response to growing concerns about the so-called 'emergency room carousel' due to recent medical service gaps, it is "actively securing emergency room personnel" and will soon announce special emergency medical measures in preparation for the Chuseok holiday.

A senior official from the Presidential Office met with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 26th and said, "Although there have been cases of reduced operating hours in some emergency rooms recently, the situation is manageable," adding, "The government is making multifaceted efforts to minimize such gaps."

The official pointed out, "'Emergency room carousel' stems from a shortage of doctors accumulated over the past 30 years," and added, "In addition, mild patients and non-emergency patients go directly to higher-level hospitals, and the insufficient compensation for treatment there has also played a complex role. If this issue is not resolved now, the suffering of patients and the public will continue in the future."

He continued, "While pursuing medical reform tasks, the government will thoroughly implement emergency medical measures," emphasizing, "We ask the public to use local clinics and hospitals for mild cases, and we hope the medical community will come together to find solutions."

The Presidential Office stated that among the 408 emergency medical institutions nationwide, three have some restrictions on 24-hour service: Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Dankook University Cheonan Hospital, and Chungnam National University Hospital in Sejong. Of these, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital and Dankook University Cheonan Hospital, which are experiencing personnel shortages, are expected to return to normal operations starting from the 1st of next month.

Additionally, Chungnam National University Hospital in Sejong is facing a shortage of emergency medicine specialists due to resignations. However, since local governments are currently discussing personnel reinforcement, the issue is expected to be resolved soon.

Medical staff are busy moving around in the emergency room at Seoul Asan Medical Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

Regarding the Health and Medical Workers' Union, which has announced a general strike on the 29th, a senior official from the Presidential Office said, "The government is making efforts to prevent the strike from actually taking place," and emphasized, "(Even if the strike occurs) it will be limited to 61 workplaces where dispute mediation has not been reached, and according to the Labor Union Act, emergency medical care, intensive care, surgery, dialysis, and related anesthesia, diagnostic, and testing functions must be maintained, so medical services will not be paralyzed."

He added, "Nevertheless, since such an event must not happen, the government is preparing countermeasures, and a meeting of related ministers, chaired by the Prime Minister, is scheduled for tomorrow," and said, "Recently, as COVID-19 has spread, patients have been flocking to emergency rooms, but 43% of patients visiting emergency rooms are identified as mild cases, so managing this traffic well is one method."

The Presidential Office emphasized that medical reform will proceed without setbacks. Increasing medical school admissions and expanding regional and essential medical services are key. The official stated, "President Yoon Suk-yeol will explain the government's ongoing medical reform tasks in this week's national briefing," and emphasized, "Rather than fixating on the settled issue of increasing medical school admissions, it is time to concretize and swiftly implement reform tasks to revitalize regional and essential medical care."

Regarding criticisms that the government's medical reform is a step toward 'medical privatization,' the official dismissed them as "completely unfounded rumors." Concerning worries that hospitals will not withstand financial deficits due to prolonged collective action by the medical community, he said, "There is no imminent shutdown or situation where hospitals can no longer operate," and added, "We are continuously monitoring the financial situation." The official also noted, "Currently, there is no plan to expand licensing to bring in foreign doctors to fill the shortage of doctors."