Pediatric Emergency Medicine Society Appeals to Refrain from Mild Emergency Room Visits During Chuseok

"Midnight to 7 AM Medical Staff Shortage"
"Focus on Severe and Emergency Pediatric Patients"
Prepare Fever Medicine in Advance Before Chuseok

Pediatric emergency medicine specialists have appealed to refrain from visiting emergency rooms with mild or non-emergency pediatric patients during the Chuseok holiday, so that they can focus on severe and emergency pediatric patients.

As the medical gap prolongs, the number of large hospitals suspending emergency room operations is increasing. On the 2nd, an emergency patient visiting a hospital in Seoul was waiting at the hospital's main entrance. The patient, who arrived at the hospital by ambulance that day, waited about 10 minutes at the main entrance before being guided by medical staff to move inside. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine announced this on the 12th through a statement and a 'Pediatric Emergency Room Usage Guide'.

The society stated, "During the Chuseok holiday, pediatric emergency rooms become extremely crowded with more patients than usual, leading to longer waiting times. Because of this, there is an increased risk that severe patients may not receive prompt treatment and their condition could worsen," and added, "To prevent such situations, we earnestly ask that you refrain from visiting the emergency room with mild cases."

They emphasized that public cooperation is essential, especially between midnight and 7 a.m., when medical staff are limited, so that they can focus on severe and emergency patients.

The society requested, "At night, please first check whether the patient is a severe emergency case by consulting 119 before visiting the emergency room," and added, "Only severe emergency patients identified after contacting 119 should use the pediatric emergency room."

They also explained, "Pediatric specialized emergency centers operate 24 hours to prepare for urgent situations and are not places to visit anytime for convenience," and urged, "Mild patients should use nearby clinics or hospitals that offer night services or visit general clinics during daytime hours."

They also recommended preparing antipyretics before Chuseok. The society advised, "We recommend having antipyretics ready in case children suddenly develop a fever," and explained, "If you have antipyretics, even if a fever occurs in the early morning, you can administer medication and visit a nearby hospital in the morning."

They further stated, "Please immediately contact 119 if symptoms such as seizures, difficulty breathing, or fever in infants under 90 days occur," and added, "For mild trauma without loss of consciousness, please visit a nearby surgical specialty hospital or an on-call hospital for treatment."

The society said, "Medical staff on site cannot ignore sick children and are doing their best to endure until the end, but the unfounded policy of increasing medical school admissions is causing confusion in the field," and warned, "If this situation continues, the pediatric emergency medical system will completely collapse."

They continued, "We can no longer just watch," and demanded, "The government should immediately withdraw the unfounded plan to increase medical school admissions and prepare policy and judicial support and measures to sustain pediatric emergency rooms."