[COVID-19 Transformation] "Immediate Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks" Expansion of Public Healthcare System Is Essential

Post-Corona, an Era of Great Transformation
<2> The War Against the Virus

Healthcare System Reform Needed
Incentives Must Be Given to Infectious Disease Specialized Hospitals
Securing Negative Pressure Beds and Mobile Negative Pressure Devices
Reducing Fatality Rate and Speed Is Crucial

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] At the end of December last year, a virus that originated in Wuhan, China, struck humanity. The fear and chaos, comparable to a 'Third World War,' have caused suffering across the globe. The assault of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is a matter concerning both the present and the future. For now, it is essential to block the spread of COVID-19 and minimize damage.

As of the 29th, the cumulative number of patients in the United States has exceeded 1 million, and the total confirmed cases worldwide have reached 3.14 million. About four months after the first patient report in China, the death toll is approaching 220,000. This surpasses the estimated death toll (around 200,000) during the most damaging 21st-century pandemic, the H1N1 influenza. When will this ongoing battle end? The bigger issue is the future. COVID-19 shows that humanity can face wars against viruses at any time. Will we panic like this again then?

"Private Hospitals Treating Infectious Diseases Is Not a Loss" Awareness Must Be Raised

There is a consensus among authorities and the medical community that the public healthcare system should be expanded, including increasing public medical institutions, to manage the COVID-19 crisis. Yoon Kang-jae, Director of the Health and Medical Research Center at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, pointed out, "Infectious disease response is a representative market failure area. Since the market system does not work well, it is reasonable for public health medical institutions to respond first, and decisions should be made from a preventive perspective rather than cost or efficiency."

Ko Kwang-pil, Professor of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University College of Medicine, said, "There is no fixed answer to how many negative pressure isolation beds the state should designate. However, since private hospitals find it difficult to equip them for economic reasons, it is necessary to operate infectious disease specialized hospitals at the public level or support private medical institutions to maintain them." Professor Choi Won-seok of the Infectious Diseases Department at Korea University Ansan Hospital said, "If the patient increase rate is steep, no country can respond effectively. A system capable of professionally handling infectious diseases is absolutely necessary."

Jinan County announced on the 20th that mild COVID-19 patients from Daegu who were hospitalized at Jinan County Medical Center in Jeonbuk have all been fully recovered and discharged. Jinan Medical Center plans to resume outpatient services starting from the 22nd. The interior of Jinan Medical Center is being disinfected.

The question is how. During the current COVID-19 spread phase, health authorities designated infectious disease specialized hospitals and admitted mild patients to residential treatment centers, trying new approaches. However, there are calls to refine this system further. If expanding public medical institutions in the short term is difficult, incentives that encourage private hospitals to participate without hesitation are necessary. Under current laws, the Minister of Health and Welfare or provincial governors can designate specialized hospitals, but there are no clear support or compensation measures for bearing such risks. The reality of Dongsan Hospital in Daegu, which devoted itself to COVID-19 treatment but is now facing financial difficulties, could discourage private hospitals from participating if another outbreak occurs.

Kim Yoon, Professor of Medical Management at Seoul National University College of Medicine, said, "Designating a hospital as an infectious disease specialized hospital requires measures such as transferring existing patients, which have not been done before. Although current laws allow the Minister of Health and Welfare or provincial governors to designate specialized hospitals, there is a lack of specific procedures or methods for transferring existing patients." Director Yoon Kang-jae pointed out, "It is necessary to provide financial support to infectious disease specialized hospitals by region and to mandate national and regional base hospitals to secure negative pressure beds and mobile negative pressure devices, recognizing the resulting losses as 'good deficits.'"

At Seonam Hospital in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, designated as a COVID-19 dedicated hospital, hospital staff are conducting questionnaire forms and fever checks for people entering the hospital. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Authorities: Strengthening Medical System to Ensure Non-COVID Patients Are Not Neglected

The indicator that health authorities and medical staff pay the most attention to is the fatality rate. They are determined to reduce deaths from infectious diseases by any means. To achieve this, slowing the epidemic curve is crucial.

When patients surge rapidly in specific areas or groups within a short period, medical systems become overloaded, both domestically and internationally. This is why even advanced medical countries report hundreds of deaths daily. Considering that the death toll in the United States, where private medical services are well-developed, is approaching 60,000, and countries with public healthcare systems like the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy have exceeded 20,000 deaths, the simple dichotomy of leaving healthcare to the market or having the public sector intervene has become meaningless.

Professor Ko Kwang-pil said, "Whether infectious diseases are properly controlled or there is confusion is a matter separate from the medical system. It is a complex interplay of how authorities implement quarantine measures and how well citizens comply."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.