Only 27% Arrive at Emergency Room Within Two Hours of Onset... Sunjah Hwang of Daegu City Council Says "There Are Problems With the Emergency Medical System"

Below the National Average of 32.6%
Calls for Measures Against "Emergency Room Bouncing"

Sunjah Hwang, a member of the Daegu City Council (People Power Party, Dalseo District 3), urged the city of Daegu to establish emergency medical measures to resolve the issue of "emergency room bouncing" through a written municipal inquiry on the 29th.

According to data released by Statistics Korea in June, only 27.0% of emergency room patients in Daegu in 2023 arrived at the emergency room within two hours of onset. This figure is lower than both the Gyeongbuk average (36.7%) and the national average (32.6%), indicating the need for a comprehensive review of Daegu's medical system.

Soonja Hwang Daegu City Councilor

Assemblywoman Hwang pointed out that the proportion of Daegu emergency room patients arriving within two hours of onset is below the national average, emphasizing, "It is urgent for Daegu to establish effective measures to reduce the time it takes to reach the emergency room."

She added, "For myocardial infarction patients, whether treatment is administered within the golden two-hour window can be a matter of life and death, so a separate response system for severe emergency conditions such as myocardial infarction is necessary."

Assemblywoman Sunjah Hwang continued, "Since July this year, Gyeongnam Province has achieved positive results by introducing the 'Emergency Light Notification System' and a 24-hour 'Emergency Medical Situation Room' to address the issue of emergency room bouncing." She suggested that Daegu should actively review and consider adopting such leading practices.

Assemblywoman Hwang urged, "Daegu must remember that the emergency medical system is directly linked to the lives of its citizens and should become a leading city in emergency medical care through more responsible action."