No Emergency Room Chaos During Seol Holiday... Sharp Decline in Mild Patients

Average Daily Number of Emergency Room Visits During Lunar New Year Holiday: 20,541

The number of patients visiting emergency rooms during this year's Lunar New Year holiday decreased by 32% compared to last year's Lunar New Year. In particular, the significant reduction in mild cases reportedly did not cause major disruptions to the treatment of severe patients.

Yonhap News

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) for the doctors' collective action held a meeting on the 3rd, chaired by Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong, to review the operation results of the emergency medical system from December 25 to January 2 (excluding the weekday of January 31).

According to the CDSCH, the average number of medical institutions open daily during this period was 17,220, which is 2.4% higher than initially planned. The number of hospitals and clinics open increased by 372.7% compared to last year's Lunar New Year holiday and by 97.0% compared to last year's Chuseok holiday. Among the 413 emergency medical institutions nationwide, 411 reportedly operated normally 24 hours a day every day during this period.

The average daily number of patients visiting emergency rooms during the Lunar New Year holiday was 20,541. This represents a decrease of about 32.3% compared to last year's Lunar New Year, mainly because mild cases sharply dropped by 43.9% compared to last year. The proportion of severe patients among all patients rose to 5.7%, higher than last year's Lunar New Year (3.8%) and Chuseok (4.6%). The proportion of severe patients at regional emergency medical centers was 14.7%. The average daily number of medical institutions capable of treating 27 severe and emergency diseases during the Lunar New Year holiday was 89, the same as last year's Chuseok holiday.

Minister Cho Kyu-hong said, "There was no major confusion as emergency rooms focused on treating severe patients," adding, "This was thanks to the public refraining from using emergency rooms for mild symptoms."