Suncheon Seonggarolo Hospital Opens Largest Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center in Jeonnam Region

Expectations for Strengthening Emergency Functions in Medically Underserved Areas and Roles in Preparing for Large-Scale Disasters

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] A path has opened to quickly treat acute carbon monoxide poisoning patients who have suffered from briquette gas, fires, and gas leaks in the eastern Jeonnam region.

On June 16, Suncheon Seonggarolo Hospital, which serves as the regional emergency medical center for eastern Jeonnam, held an opening ceremony for the 'Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center,' equipped with the largest facilities in the Jeonnam area.

The newly opened Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center is equipped with two single-person chambers and a multi-person (12-person) hyperbaric oxygen chamber, expected to play a crucial role even in large-scale disaster incidents.

Previously, in the Jeonnam region, only Mokpo Hanguk Hospital and Chonnam National University Hospital each had a single-person chamber. Given the concentration of industrial facilities in eastern Jeonnam, the need for installation has been consistently raised. Accordingly, Jeonnam Province, Suncheon City, and Seonggarolo Hospital invested a budget of 2.24 billion KRW to open the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center to improve the emergency medical system in eastern Jeonnam.

In particular, hyperbaric oxygen chambers are high-cost equipment exceeding 1 billion KRW per unit, and require trained operators and specialized medical staff. They are known to be difficult to introduce even in advanced general hospitals or regional emergency medical centers capable of accommodating critically ill emergency patients.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves injecting oxygen at 2 to 3 times atmospheric pressure into the chamber, allowing a large amount of oxygen to dissolve into the blood and supply oxygen throughout the body, improving symptoms of various diseases caused by hypoxia. Recently, the treatment scope has expanded beyond acute carbon monoxide poisoning to include diabetic wounds, bone tissue damage from radiation therapy, hemorrhagic cystitis, decompression sickness, sudden hearing loss, and other fields.

Mayor Heo Seok of Suncheon said, “With the introduction of this hyperbaric oxygen chamber, the function of the regional emergency medical center in eastern Jeonnam has been strengthened, and the status of Suncheon City as a ‘more comfortable and safe city’ has been elevated.” He added, “With the opening of the center, Seonggarolo Hospital is expected to play a significant role in community contribution and preparedness for large-scale disasters as a representative hospital in the Jeonnam region.”

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