Busan City: "Public-Private Cooperation to Prevent Gaps in Medical Services"
Where should you go if you fall ill during the holiday season?
On September 19, the Busan Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Hyungjoon) announced that, for the upcoming Chuseok holiday from October 3 to October 9, 38 major general hospitals in the city will selectively provide outpatient services to ensure convenient access to medical care for citizens. Emergency rooms will continue to operate 24 hours a day as usual.
The city has established a “Chuseok Holiday Emergency Medical Service Operation Plan” and set up a cooperative system involving both private and public medical institutions, so that citizens do not experience inconvenience when seeking medical care during the holiday period. This year’s Chuseok is the longest holiday since the collective action by doctors, so the city has focused on minimizing inconvenience not only for emergency patients but also for those who require continuous treatment, such as cancer patients and those undergoing kidney dialysis.
Inje University Busan Paik Hospital and Haeundae Paik Hospital will provide outpatient services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 9. In addition, Daedong Hospital, BHS Hanseo Hospital, On General Hospital, Good Samsun Hospital, Gwanghye Hospital, Gupo Seongsim Hospital, Gijang Hospital, Maryknoll Hospital, Sahmyook Busan Hospital, Good Munhwa Hospital, Haedong Hospital, Yeongdo Hospital, and Centum General Hospital will also selectively offer medical services during the holiday period.
Busan Medical Center will operate as usual on October 8, providing services in 13 departments, including internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics. Endocrinology, infectious diseases, pediatrics, dermatology, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, otolaryngology, and acupuncture will be available all day, while nephrology, gastroenterology, neurology, orthopedics, and neurosurgery will be available only in the morning.
Dong-A University Hospital, Pusan National University Hospital, and Kosin University Gospel Hospital will not offer outpatient services during the holiday period, but their emergency rooms will remain open 24 hours a day. To prevent a gap in pediatric care due to the extended holiday, Dalbit Children's Hospital (99 Seoul Pediatrics Clinic in Dongnae-gu) and Geumjeong Pediatrics Clinic (in Geumjeong-gu), both designated as Dalbit Children's Hospitals, will operate as usual on Chuseok day, October 6.
Citizens can check real-time information on hospital operating hours and schedules through the 120 Call Center, the 119 General Situation Room, or the Emergency Medical Information (e-gen) app.
Cho Gyuyul, Director of the Busan City Health Bureau, stated, "This Chuseok emergency medical system has been made possible thanks to the city's thorough preparations and the cooperation of medical institutions," and added, "We ask citizens to use the nearest medical facility in case of an emergency and to check operating hours in advance."
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