Gwangju City and Jeonnam Province Present Model Case of Win-Win Cooperation in 'Bed Sharing'

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju and Jeonnam are presenting a model case of win-win cooperation by sufficiently securing beds for critically ill patients through inter-city and province ‘bed sharing’.

According to Jeonnam Province on the 2nd, to prioritize the health of local residents against COVID-19, Gwangju City, sharing the same roots, has established an organic ‘bed sharing’ system, wisely overcoming the shortage of beds for critically ill patients through systematic distributed placement according to patient conditions.

The two cities and provinces distribute critically ill patients to specialized hospitals in Gwangju equipped with negative pressure facilities, while asymptomatic and mild patients are allocated to dedicated hospitals or residential treatment centers such as public medical centers in Jeonnam through ‘bed sharing’.

This means that Gwangju, which lacks treatment facilities for mild patients, and Jeonnam, which has insufficient facilities for critically ill patients, are solving the bed shortage problem through cooperative governance.

Jeonnam Province and Gwangju City have jointly secured eight treatment hospitals and facilities through ‘bed sharing,’ capable of accommodating a total of 424 patients.

Meanwhile, as of this morning, the cumulative confirmed cases in the Gwangju-Jeonnam area total 537. Among them, 209 patients are receiving inpatient treatment at dedicated hospitals, residential treatment centers, and national designated hospitals and medical centers equipped with negative pressure facilities.

Among the facilities, the national designated hospitals include three locations: Chonnam National University Hospital, Chosun University Hospital, and Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, securing 22 beds.

Currently, 15 patients are being treated, with capacity to treat 7 more. Patients whose health improves or whose risk of deterioration is low will be transferred to dedicated hospitals to secure up to 10 additional beds, enabling urgent response in case of critically ill patient occurrence and alleviating local residents’ anxiety.

Gwangju Bitgoeul Chonnam National University Hospital, which treats critically ill patients, can accommodate 89 patients. Currently, 50 are admitted, leaving 39 beds available.

The dedicated hospitals for mild patients are three facilities: Suncheon Medical Center, Gangjin Medical Center, and Mokpo City Medical Center, capable of treating 230 patients. Currently, 127 patients are admitted, with capacity to accommodate 103 more. The residential treatment center for asymptomatic and mild patients is the KEPCO KPS Human Resources Development Institute located in Naju, which can accommodate 83 patients.

Currently, 17 patients are admitted, with capacity for 66 more.

The KEPCO KPS Human Resources Development Institute residential treatment center began operation on the 31st of last month due to the recent surge in cluster infections in the Gwangju-Jeonnam area. Nearby Naju residents have demonstrated mature civic consciousness, allowing smooth operation without major conflicts, greatly contributing to solving the bed shortage problem.

Thanks to the cooperative governance between Jeonnam Province and Gwangju City, there appears to be no major problems in securing beds for the time being.

Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok said, “Gwangju and Jeonnam share a common living area, and since confirmed patients’ movement paths often overlap, we dispatch staff daily to the Gwangju City Hall quarantine situation room to share information on confirmed patients’ movement routes and contacts. Also, treatment beds are managed through an organic ‘bed sharing’ system where Gwangju, with relatively more specialized hospitals, and Jeonnam, with many public medical centers and dedicated hospitals, complement each other’s shortages.” He added, “Building on this sharing system, we will continue to identify tasks prioritizing the health and safety of city and provincial residents and respond jointly.”

Regarding the residential treatment center, Governor Kim emphasized, “Since it operates with the warm consideration of Naju citizens, we will thoroughly manage quarantine for citizen safety and provide proper medical services to residents so that both citizens and confirmed patients can be satisfied.”

Meanwhile, Jeonnam Province transferred 30 patients to Suncheon Medical Center for treatment when COVID-19 cases surged in the Daegu area last March.

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