Military Medical Personnel Urgently Deployed Starting from the 4th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Ministry of National Defense has decided to urgently deploy military doctors to nine civilian medical facilities in the Seoul metropolitan area starting from the 4th, as the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) resurges.

Initially, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters requested the Ministry of National Defense on the 31st of last month to support with 53 military doctors. The Ministry of National Defense plans to dispatch 22 personnel in the first phase to support civilian medical institutions in the metropolitan area, including Incheon Medical Center and Inha University Hospital. Additionally, from the 4th, they will begin full-scale patient treatment at eight nationally designated negative pressure beds within the Seongnam Armed Forces Capital Hospital, which have been converted for civilian COVID-19 critical patients. Currently, the dispatch period has not been set, as the scale and duration of deployment may be extended depending on the progress of collective medical staff strikes. The Ministry of National Defense is also consulting with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters to secure additional nationally designated negative pressure beds at the capital hospital.

This is the first time military medical personnel have been dispatched to civilian facilities since the mass infection outbreak originating from the Shincheonji Daegu Church earlier this year. From February, the Ministry of National Defense dispatched military doctors and nursing officers to civilian medical facilities such as Daegu Dongsan Hospital for about two months. As of the 1st, to support COVID-19 efforts, the Ministry of National Defense has deployed 9,898 military doctors and 24,849 nursing personnel to capital hospitals (nationally designated beds and critical patient support), as well as airport and port quarantine stations.

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