"Please Do Your Best Until the End of the Chuseok Holiday" Request
President Yoon Suk-yeol is encouraging medical staff at Seongbuk Woori Children’s Hospital in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the last day of the Chuseok holiday, the 18th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Woori Children’s Hospital in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 18th to check whether medical services would be maintained without disruption during the Chuseok holiday period and to encourage the medical staff who are protecting the healthcare frontlines.
This is President Yoon’s third visit to a children’s hospital, following Seoul National University Hospital Children’s Hospital in February last year and Asan Medical Center Children’s Hospital in March this year. It is the first time he has visited a regional children’s hospital, a secondary hospital rather than a children’s hospital within a large hospital.
Woori Children’s Hospital in Seongbuk, which President Yoon visited that day, is one of only two pediatric and adolescent specialty hospitals nationwide, along with Woori Children’s Hospital in Guro. This hospital has established a comprehensive pediatric specialty collaboration system including pediatrics, pediatric endocrinology, and pediatric cardiology, with an annual outpatient volume of approximately 170,000 patients. During this Chuseok holiday period, 24 doctors at the hospital continued to provide care except for the afternoon of Chuseok day.
Upon arriving at the hospital entrance, President Yoon wore a mask and moved to the outpatient treatment area guided by Jeong Seong-gwan, chairman of the Woori Children’s Medical Foundation. About 70 to 80 pediatric patients were waiting for treatment in the waiting room.
Chairman Jeong explained, “We collaborate with hospitals capable of backup treatment to promptly treat severely ill children. On the morning of the 16th, during the holiday period, we contacted Korea University Anam Hospital within one minute through a real-time communication channel to transfer a child whose liver enzyme levels had sharply increased. The child’s pneumonia symptoms are currently improving.”
President Yoon Suk-yeol is encouraging medical staff at Seongbuk Woori Children’s Hospital in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the last day of the Chuseok holiday on the 18th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon expressed his gratitude, saying, “It is very worrying when a child is sick during the holidays, so I thank you for your efforts to care for sick children even during this holiday. Thanks to the medical staff, parents can feel reassured.”
After moving to the inpatient ward and asking for the understanding of the surrounding medical staff, President Yoon toured the inpatient rooms. He then asked a hospitalized 6-year-old child, “How long have you been hospitalized? Did you eat songpyeon? Should your grandfather have brought some for you?” When the attending physician replied, “The child has improved a lot,” President Yoon encouraged the child, saying, “Get well soon and run around energetically after discharge.” President Yoon also briefly chatted with children and parents waiting for treatment and willingly agreed to take selfies upon request.
Yoon Expresses Gratitude: "Parents Reassured Thanks to Medical Staff"
After touring the inpatient rooms, President Yoon promised Chairman Jeong, “The government will provide more support and backing,” and instructed the Minister of Health and Welfare on-site, “Please discuss what kind of assistance the government can provide.” The government has expanded support for pediatric medical care, including ▲increasing fees for intensive care unit admission and dedicated specialist physicians related to severe pediatric and emergency cases ▲improving fees for severe pediatric emergency rooms ▲compensating fees for pediatric hospital and clinic care during nighttime and late-night hours.
Attending the hospital visit were Jeong Seong-gwan, chairman of the Woori Children’s Medical Foundation; Kim Min-sang, director and specialist of Seongbuk Woori Children’s Hospital; and nursing staff. From the government, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong and Kwon Byung-gi, director of essential medical support at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, participated. From the Presidential Office, Chief of Policy Seong Tae-yoon and Senior Secretary for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon, among other aides, were present.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is visiting Seongbuk Woori Children’s Hospital in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the last day of the Chuseok holiday, October 18, and talking with hospitalized children and their guardians. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Additionally, during a meeting with aides on the morning of the same day, President Yoon emphasized, “It is the nation’s responsibility to support children to grow up bright and healthy,” and added, “We must not spare necessary support and investment in pediatric care, which is a core part of essential medical services.”
He particularly noted, “Because this holiday was long, there were many public concerns about emergency medical care. Although there were some difficulties and inconveniences on-site until the end of the holiday, thanks to the medical staff who protected the healthcare frontlines day and night and the paramedics who worked hard to transport patients, we were able to overcome it well.”
He continued, “Thanks to the active participation of medical institutions in treatment, the dedication of medical personnel, and above all, the public who refrained from visiting large hospital emergency rooms and endured inconveniences,” and urged, “Since the Chuseok holiday is not yet over, I ask medical staff, paramedics, and local government officials to continue doing their best until the end.”
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of medical institutions open on the 16th and 17th during the Chuseok holiday increased by 18% and 25%, respectively, compared to the original plan. The number of emergency room visits on Chuseok day decreased by 39% from 48,374 last year to 29,645 this year.
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