Emergency Medical Daily Briefing: Mild Patients Decrease by 39%
2,223 Local Clinics and Hospitals Open on Chuseok Day
The government announced that the number of emergency room visits during the Chuseok holiday period decreased by more than 30% compared to last year, and that thanks to the dedication of medical staff and the cooperation of the public, the period passed without major disruptions.
Jung Yoon-soon, Director General of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, is giving a briefing on emergency medical and urgent care response on the 19th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@
On the 19th, Jeong Yoon-soon, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated in a daily emergency medical briefing, "During this holiday, the average daily number of patients visiting emergency rooms was 26,983, a decrease of 32% compared to last Chuseok and 27% compared to this year's Lunar New Year."
In particular, the average daily number of severe patients visiting emergency rooms was 1,247, slightly lower than last Chuseok (1,455) and this year's Lunar New Year (1,414), while mild patients averaged 15,782 per day, a 39% decrease compared to last Chuseok (20,603) and a 33% decrease compared to this year's Lunar New Year (23,647).
Director Jeong said, "Thanks to the public refraining from using emergency rooms for mild symptoms, emergency medical sites were able to focus on treating severe patients."
The average daily number of neighborhood clinics and hospitals open during the Chuseok holiday was 8,743, which is 10.2% (812 facilities) more than the initially planned 7,931. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, this number is 74.2% higher than last Chuseok and 140% higher than during this year's Lunar New Year holiday period.
By date, on the first day of the holiday, September 14, 29,823 clinics and hospitals provided medical services; on the 15th, 3,247 facilities; on the 16th, 3,832 facilities; on Chuseok day, the 17th, 2,223 facilities; and on the 18th, 4,588 facilities were open.
Additionally, among the 411 emergency rooms nationwide, 408 operated 24 hours daily during the holiday period, excluding Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, and Yongin Myeongju Hospital.
As of the 19th, 406 emergency rooms are operating, excluding five facilities: Kangwon National University Hospital, Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital, Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, Ewha Mokdong Hospital, and Yongin Myeongju Hospital. As of noon on the 18th, among the total 180 emergency medical centers, an average of 89 facilities were capable of treating 27 types of severe emergency diseases.
Director Jeong emphasized, "Although there were some individual cases of inconvenience in medical use during the Chuseok holiday, overall, there appears to have been no major disruption. The government will continue to remain vigilant and respond carefully to ensure that the emergency medical system is maintained with a focus on severe patients."
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