Even Mildly Symptomatic Patients Must Wait 3 Days... The 'Hospital Bed Crisis' Has Begun

Mobilizing Containers and More to Secure Hospital Beds, but Insufficient Amid Patient Surge
Only 2 Severe Patient Treatment Beds Left in Seoul and 1 in Gyeonggi in the Capital Area
Prolonged Home Quarantine Increases Anxiety, Raising Concerns of Additional Family Infections

On the 11th, installation work for a 'container temporary ward' equipped with negative pressure facilities, beds, and various other equipment is underway at Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy reporters Donghoon Jeong and Jeongyun Lee] Around 3 p.m. on the 15th, finishing work was underway on container-type mobile beds to accommodate confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in a vacant lot behind Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. About 30 workers involved in the construction were busy with their respective tasks such as wiring, drainage, heating, and cleaning despite the freezing cold below zero. The workers warmed themselves by smoking during breaks and immediately returned to work. One worker said, "They are urging us to finish the construction quickly, but since it’s winter, productivity is low, and it gets dark early, making night work difficult. I don’t think it will be finished in a day or two; it will take about three days to complete the construction."

Residents near the medical center expressed anxiety about the installation of the container-type mobile beds. Yoon (42, female) said, "I don’t oppose the installation itself, but children have to pass by that area to take the bus," adding, "There is also a daycare center right in front of the container, so I’m worried about how confirmed cases will be managed." In fact, a banner reading "What is a COVID ward doing in front of the daycare center! Secure a safe distance!" was hung at the entrance of the Seoul Medical Center daycare center, only about 20 meters from the container, and there were protests from concerned parents.

The container beds measure 3.1 meters in width and 7.5 meters in length, with three people sharing one container. Temporary walls and doors are installed to divide the space by bed, but the design is corridor-style, and shower rooms and restrooms are installed outside, shared by six people. This raises concerns that shared use could lead to cross-infection, potentially worsening the condition of recovering patients.

On the 11th, banners expressing residents' concerns about the 'container temporary beds,' such as 'Please ensure a safe space for children,' were hung at the entrance of the Seoul Medical Center daycare in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The shortage of COVID-19 treatment beds has become a major issue amid the third wave of COVID-19 in South Korea. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 16th, there are only three available dedicated severe patient treatment beds in the metropolitan area: two in Seoul and one in Gyeonggi Province. Incheon had already exhausted all available severe patient treatment beds as of the previous day. Compared to the situation reported by the Central Disaster Headquarters the day before, it is possible that both severe patient beds in Seoul were fully occupied within a day.

Local governments and the central government are scrambling to secure temporary beds, but as confirmed cases increase exponentially, the shortage of beds has become severe. It appears that the capacity to mobilize dedicated beds in public hospitals has already reached its limit. Although the quarantine authorities announced on the 13th a plan to expand 2,260 general beds and 287 intensive care beds, it could take up to three weeks to implement.

Frontline health centers and fire stations responsible for isolating and transporting COVID-19 confirmed patients are also feeling the severity of the bed shortage. A health center official in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, said, "Recently, due to the lack of beds, symptomatic patients have to wait at home for an average of two nights and three days before they can be transferred to treatment facilities," adding, "Until a month or two ago, patients were assigned beds on the same day they were confirmed positive." He continued, "Emergency patients, infants, patients with underlying conditions, the elderly, and pregnant women are prioritized for bed allocation, so most other symptomatic patients have to rely on symptomatic treatment at home."

Another health center official in Seoul said, "Patients waiting at home for three or four days are experiencing increased mental anxiety due to worsening symptoms," and added, "There is also concern about additional infections among family members and contacts due to home isolation."

Professor Eunmi Cheon of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Ewha Mokdong Hospital explained, "Container-type mobile beds are vulnerable to the cold winter weather and have limited space, making movement and treatment difficult," adding, "Since the number of beds is small, it is reasonable to create beds in living treatment centers, training centers, or gymnasiums that can accommodate hundreds of people and have heating facilities."

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