Only 19 Beds Available for Admission... Securing Beds for Severe Patients Is a 'Precarious Situation'

Plan to Secure 136 Units
But Difficult to Predict Actual Patient Surge
Shortage of Medical Staff and Equipment
Consideration to Transfer Mild Patients in ICU

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] As the number of elderly COVID-19 patients increases in the Seoul metropolitan area, securing hospital beds for severe patient treatment has become a critical issue. Some experts predict that, considering recent trends, the number of severe patients could rise to around 130 by the end of this month. In response, the government plans to secure up to 136 facilities for severe patient treatment, but given the difficulty in predicting a sudden surge in patients, the situation remains precarious. Experts advise that intensive care units (ICUs) and appropriately skilled medical staff must be proactively secured to effectively treat severe COVID-19 patients.

Severe COVID-19 Patient Treatment Beds Saturated
Severe Patients Expected to Reach 130 by Month-End

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 26th, there are 319 beds for severe patient treatment in the Seoul metropolitan area (as of the 25th), of which only 19 beds are available for COVID-19 patients. The situation is rapidly worsening, with 50 beds lost in just two days. The problem is that having 19 beds left does not mean 19 severely symptomatic COVID-19 patients can be admitted simultaneously. Medical staff and equipment to treat COVID-19 patients must also be secured, and some beds must be reserved for other diseases or emergency patients.

On the afternoon of the 25th, medical staff at Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Anseong Hospital are monitoring the condition of hospitalized confirmed patients through screens.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the Central Clinical Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases recently established a joint response situation room to cope with the surge in patients in the metropolitan area. This was due to the increasingly serious situation, making rapid bed allocation after diagnosis and transfer procedures based on severity crucial. The Central Clinical Committee, which is responsible for frontline COVID-19 patient treatment, along with the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine, reports that the situation on the ground is even more severe. According to the joint response situation room, only 95 beds have been secured as intensive care units for severe COVID-19 patients, which is about 30% of the government's target.

More than 70 critically ill patients, including those receiving oxygen therapy, are already occupying beds, and some mild patients are also occupying ICU beds. Considering this, the actual number of remaining beds is about seven. Joo Young-soo, head of the COVID-19 joint response situation room coordinating bed allocation in the metropolitan area, said, "Many patients who are not critically ill occupy ICU beds, so it is important to induce transfers and use metropolitan area beds efficiently."

"51 Additional Beds Secured at Major Metropolitan Hospitals"
Cooperation from Tertiary General Hospitals Centered

The number of elderly severe patients, who are at risk of death and other casualties, is expected to increase for the time being. Based on clinical information from thousands of domestic patients, the Central Clinical Committee recently analyzed the age distribution of patients in the metropolitan area and predicted that more than double-digit new severe patients will consistently emerge daily, reaching a cumulative total of 130 by the end of this month. Currently secured ICU beds fall short by about 40.

Accordingly, health authorities and the joint response situation room have decided to gradually secure beds for severe patient treatment, focusing on tertiary general hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Seoul National University Hospital, the largest, said it could provide about eight beds, while large hospitals such as Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Asan Medical Center can provide between one and four beds. With these additional beds, the plan is to secure 136 ICU beds by early next month.

If severe patients occur as predicted by health authorities and medical staff, the number of available beds will not exceed the critical threshold. While there are many variables such as discharges and deaths, the authorities expect the situation will not surpass the limit. There is also a plan to transfer mild patients currently admitted to ICUs.

However, this plan is based on the assumption that patients will occur following previous patterns. If new confirmed cases surge rapidly or the number of patients worsening to severe conditions exceeds predictions, it may be difficult to respond quickly, experts warn.

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