Emergency Response System Established for Gas Poisoning and Burn Patients
Opening Ceremony on December 26... 8-Person Treatment Device Fully Operational
Ulsan City will hold the “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center Opening Ceremony” at 11 a.m. on the 26th in Hyemyeongsim Hall, Basement Level 1 of Ulsan Hospital.
The event will be attended by about 50 officials from related organizations, including Mayor Kim Du-gyeom, Acting Chairperson of the Ulsan City Council Kim Jong-seop, Chairman of Ulsan Hospital Lim Seong-hyun, Ulsan Regional Headquarters of Korea Gas Safety Corporation, Ulsan Branch of Korea Diving Association, and Ulsan Petrochemical Safety Management Council. The program includes a plaque unveiling ceremony and hyperbaric oxygen therapy experience.
Until now, Ulsan did not have hyperbaric oxygen therapy equipment, so about 100 emergency patients each year were transferred to other regions such as nearby Busan or Daegu for treatment.
In response, Ulsan City conducted a public contest in June for the “2024 Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Equipment Support Project” targeting local medical institutions and selected Ulsan Hospital as the operating institution.
Ulsan Hospital invested a total of 550 million KRW, including 200 million KRW in city funds supported by the city and 350 million KRW from the hospital’s own budget, to establish the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center by installing one 8-person treatment chamber and remodeling the interior in an 82.5㎡ space on Basement Level 1 of Building A at Ulsan Hospital.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a highly effective treatment for patients with gas poisoning, burns, decompression sickness, diabetic foot ulcers, sudden hearing loss, and more. Its effectiveness is maximized when treatment is received within the golden time.
In particular, Ulsan has large-scale chemical industrial complexes such as Onsan National Industrial Complex and Ulsan-Mipo National Industrial Complex, where the risk of poisoning or burn patients caused by chemical or gas leaks is high.
Additionally, decompression sickness frequently occurs among shipbuilding workers, so the opening of this center is expected to further enhance the emergency response capability for industrial accident patients.
Following its recent designation as a regional emergency medical center and regional responsible medical institution, Ulsan Hospital is expected to play a significant role in protecting citizens’ healthy daily lives 365 days a year by expanding its public medical functions with the addition of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center.
Ulsan City and Ulsan Hospital plan to strengthen close cooperation with related organizations such as industrial complex councils, the Gas Corporation, and the Diving Association centered on the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, and to further expand the center’s capabilities through future operational performance analysis.
Mayor Kim Du-gyeom said, “We expect that the expansion of medical infrastructure, which has not existed in Ulsan until now, will further enhance Ulsan’s emergency medical capabilities,” adding, “We will continue to safely protect citizens’ healthy daily lives by strengthening a regionally complete medical system.”
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