Only 3 Dedicated ICU Beds in the Capital Area... "No Matter How Much We Increase, Always at Capacity"

Helpless in Securing Hospital Beds Plan
Lack of Investigation Capacity and Medical System Maintenance
Additional Hospital Cooperation Also Difficult

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Mr. A, who lives in Seoul, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on the 14th. His two children, who were also tested, were confirmed positive as well. Although it was a relief that his nearby parents tested negative, it was only for a moment, as he was told that there was no place for the three family members to be hospitalized together in Seoul, so they must wait at home for now. Although the health center soon notified them that treatment would be available, he worries that his family’s symptoms might worsen.

According to the quarantine authorities on the 17th, as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to exceed 1,000 daily, concerns about the patient treatment system are rising. The government has emphasized quarantine activities based on the so-called '3T' strategy: Test, Trace, and Treat. However, while testing capacity was significantly increased to find hidden infections, contact tracing capacity and frontline medical systems were not properly organized. Hundreds of patients in the metropolitan area, like Mr. A, remain at home for more than two days after confirmation. Local governments and health centers monitor waiting patients’ symptoms by phone, but the possibility of patients not receiving timely treatment has increased accordingly.

The problem is that while the number of critically ill patients is rapidly increasing day by day, hospital beds no longer have the capacity to accommodate more patients. According to the quarantine authorities, as of midnight on this day, there were 242 critically ill patients, an increase of 16 from the previous day. This is the highest number since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Korea, with daily increases in the tens recently. The number of deaths the previous day was 22, the highest daily figure. For elderly patients or those with underlying conditions, worsening symptoms are likely to lead to fatalities. This is why the quarantine authorities and the Central Clinical Committee for Emerging Infectious Diseases, which oversees COVID-19 patient treatment control towers, are focusing on enhancing critical care capacity as their primary goal in the current situation.

On the 17th, citizens are getting tested at the Jung-gu temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the same day, there were 1,014 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), bringing the total to 46,453. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of the previous day, there were only three dedicated COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) beds remaining in the metropolitan area. Some critically ill patients whose symptoms improved slightly were moved to semi-critical care beds, but ICU beds remain severely insufficient. There is only one bed left that is shared with general severe patients. These figures do not account for patients scheduled for future hospitalization, meaning the beds have effectively been fully occupied for several days. Although cooperation is being sought from private tertiary hospitals, it is not easy to obtain additional support from each hospital.

Concerns about the shortage of ICU beds were also raised during the first wave in February-March and the second wave in August-September. However, neither private medical institutions nor public hospitals significantly increased capacity. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced in May that it would expand 83 government-designated inpatient treatment beds across 17 medical institutions nationwide, but more than half a year later, not a single facility has been completed.

Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Infectious Diseases Department at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "The government planned to respond by freeing up beds in public medical institutions under its jurisdiction, such as veterans’ hospitals, but many patients currently hospitalized are vulnerable, and there is a risk of secondary damage. We need to consider repurposing places like gymnasiums, closed hospitals, or venues like COEX, but even this is difficult due to a shortage of medical staff."

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