Expansion of Staff to Prepare for Surge in Emergency Medical Cases
Inside the 119 Comprehensive Situation Room of Gwangju Fire Safety Headquarters. Provided by Gwangju Fire Safety Headquarters
The Gwangju Fire Safety Headquarters announced on the 19th that it will strengthen the '119 Emergency Situation Management' from the 22nd of this month to February 5th to minimize inconvenience to citizens in case of emergencies during the Lunar New Year holiday period.
Last year in Gwangju, a total of 2,989 emergency calls (an average of 740 per day) were received during the four days of the Chuseok holiday. Among these, 848 cases (an average of 212 per day) were emergency medical consultations such as information on hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, which was more than 1.6 times higher than on regular weekdays (126 cases).
Accordingly, the 119 General Situation Room plans to respond promptly to ensure that emergency treatment and hospital transport for patients are not delayed. The number of medical consultation reception desks will be increased from two to four, and the number of professional medical consultation staff will be reinforced from three to five per day.
In addition, the 119 emergency call reception system and the emergency contact network with related disaster agencies will be checked, and emergency personnel will be pre-assigned to ensure thorough preparedness for large-scale disasters or a surge in emergency calls.
Na Hongwon, head of the 119 General Situation Room, said, "If an emergency occurs or you need information on hospitals or pharmacies during the Lunar New Year holiday, please use 119 at any time, 24 hours a day," and added, "We will do our best to provide seamless emergency medical services so that citizens can enjoy a comfortable holiday."
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