Paik Hospital: "Concerns Over Care Disruptions During Extended Holidays, Minimizing Patient Inconvenience"
Emergency Room Open 24 Hours
Outpatient, Diagnostic, Surgical, Chemotherapy, and Dialysis Services in Operation
Paik Hospital has decided to forgo its holiday break. Instead of closing entirely during the holidays, the hospital will continue to see patients, only suspending some services for a limited time.
On September 15, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital (Director Yang Jaewook) and Haeundae Paik Hospital (Director Kim Sungsoo) announced that they would partially forgo their holidays during the extended Chuseok holiday in October to prevent any medical service gaps.
Busan Paik Hospital and Haeundae Paik Hospital will provide regular medical services on Hangeul Day, October 9. This year, the Chuseok holiday overlaps with National Foundation Day, substitute holidays, and Hangeul Day, creating a potential seven-day break and raising concerns about gaps in patient care and treatment delays.
To address this situation, Busan Paik Hospital will implement its own emergency medical system. The emergency room and inpatient wards will operate as usual throughout the holiday period, and outpatient, diagnostic, and surgical services will resume normal operations on the last day of the holiday, October 9.
Essential and regular treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and dialysis will continue at 100% normal capacity. The Department of Radiation Oncology has also decided to provide radiation therapy on the substitute holiday, October 8, to maximize the effectiveness of cancer treatment and ensure continuity of care.
Haeundae Paik Hospital will also keep its Regional Emergency Medical Center open 24 hours a day throughout the holiday period and will resume emergency and essential surgeries from October 9. In addition, essential departments such as emergency care, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular services, oncology and dialysis, high-risk obstetrics and neonatology, and pediatrics will operate as usual.
Yang Jaewook, Director of Busan Paik Hospital, stated, "An extended holiday can easily lead to gaps in patient care and put a strain on the regional medical safety net. We will do our utmost to ensure patients receive the treatment they need without inconvenience by maintaining regular services and continuity of care during the holidays."
He added, "Busan Paik Hospital is more than just a provider of medical services; we are a trusted partner in safeguarding the community's health. As a leading tertiary hospital in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, we are committed to patient-centered care and fulfilling our social responsibility to ensure the safety and health rights of the community."
Kim Sungsoo, Director of Haeundae Paik Hospital, said, "Protecting patients' safety and lives is the hospital's top priority. I am grateful to the medical staff who work tirelessly for our patients even during the holidays. The hospital will do its best to ensure that local residents can receive medical services without anxiety, fulfilling our role as a guardian of community health."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
