Yangsan City to Launch 24-Hour Comprehensive Emergency Medical System in July

Bethesda Gospel Hospital Designated as Emergency Medical Institution
Comprehensive Hospital in Ungsang Area Set to Open in November

Yangsan City in South Gyeongsang Province announced that its 24-hour comprehensive regional emergency medical system, which has been promoted to address gaps in local emergency medical care, will be fully operational starting in July.

Mayor Na Dongyeon held an on-site briefing in front of the former Ungsang Jungang Hospital and stated, "With Bethesda Gospel Hospital officially designated as a regional emergency medical institution, a 24-hour emergency patient care system will be launched from July. In addition, the tentatively named Ungsang Jungang Baek Hospital will newly open in November, which will eliminate emergency medical blind spots throughout Yangsan."

Mayor Na Dongyeon Emergency Medical System Establishment On-Site Briefing. Provided by Yangsan City

Until now, Yangsan City has provided emergency medical services mainly through Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, a regional emergency medical center, as well as emergency medical facilities such as Bethesda Gospel Hospital and Bonbareun Hospital.

However, the emergency room at Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital has been operated primarily for severe emergency patients. In addition, with only emergency medical facilities available, it has been virtually impossible to provide nighttime and holiday emergency care for mild emergency patients. Furthermore, the collective resignation of doctors during the medical reform process in 2023 exacerbated the shortage of medical personnel, resulting in a situation where there were effectively no emergency medical institutions available for mild emergency patients during nights or holidays.

In particular, when Ungsang Jungang Hospital, the only emergency medical institution in Yangsan, closed in March last year, residents were left in an emergency medical blind spot, having to travel to secondary hospitals in distant cities such as Busan and Ulsan.

To overcome this crisis, Yangsan City focused all efforts on designating regional emergency medical institutions and achieved two important results.

First, Bethesda Gospel Hospital, which had previously served as an emergency medical facility, reorganized its facilities and medical staff and was officially designated as a regional emergency medical institution in June. Bethesda Gospel Hospital will operate a 24-hour emergency patient care system starting in July.

In addition, with a new owner selected for the long-closed Ungsang Jungang Hospital, the tentatively named 'Ungsang Jungang Baek Hospital' is scheduled to newly open in November this year.

The hospital will have 204 beds and operate a 24-hour emergency room, offering specialized departments tailored to local residents, including pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, and neurosurgery.

With Bethesda Gospel Hospital in western Yangsan and Ungsang Jungang Baek Hospital in eastern Yangsan, the city will establish a comprehensive emergency medical system. Yangsan City has also prepared proactive administrative support measures to ensure the stable operation of regional emergency medical institutions.

The main support measures include: ▲ annual support of 400 million won for five years for the salaries of emergency room dedicated physicians; ▲ differential subsidies linked to the performance evaluation of emergency medical institutions; ▲ salary support for two essential medical staff specializing in emergency medicine, pediatrics, or thoracic surgery who settle in the region for more than five years under the Yangsan-type regional essential physician system; ▲ operational cost support for Dalbit Children's Hospital; ▲ establishment of a local medical support governance system; and ▲ development of basic infrastructure, such as the opening of urban planning roads around hospitals.

Mayor Na Dongyeon emphasized, "With the establishment of a 24-hour comprehensive regional emergency medical system, Yangsan residents will be able to receive prompt and safe emergency medical services anytime, anywhere. We will continue to expand emergency medical infrastructure and pursue policies that prioritize the health and safety of our citizens."