"Can't Endure Like This"… Surge in COVID Patients, Medical Staff's 'Desperate Cry'

As the spread of the third wave of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea shows no signs of slowing down, citizens are lining up at the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza on the 23rd, waiting for their turn. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, 1,092 new confirmed cases were reported domestically, bringing the total to 52,550. This marks an increase of 223 cases from the previous day, rising back to over 1,000 cases for the first time in three days since the 20th (1,097 cases). Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] As confirmed cases surge due to the third wave of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), claims have been raised that medical facilities and personnel necessary for treatment are reaching their limits in the healthcare field.

On the morning of the 23rd, the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union held a press conference at the union office in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, stating, "Recently, COVID-19 patients have rapidly increased mainly in the metropolitan area, and appropriate medical institutions have not been secured according to severity levels." They added, "Most regional public hospitals, including local medical centers designated as dedicated hospitals, lack facilities and equipment suitable for intensive care as well as sufficient personnel."

In particular, the union explained that due to the shortage of intensive care beds, many dedicated hospitals are unable to provide proper treatment to critically ill patients, who are waiting for transfers. The union pointed out, "The biggest problem is the failure to secure enough intensive care beds in advance."

With the recent third wave, hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients such as nursing care patients, dementia patients, psychiatric patients, and those with mobility difficulties have explosively increased, but no standards have been established for the personnel required according to patient conditions. As a result, medical staff are taking on tasks such as feeding, diaper changes, and restroom cleaning for dementia and mobility-impaired COVID-19 patients, pushing nurses at dedicated hospitals to exhaustion.

The union emphasized, "It is necessary to classify patient severity and systematize the transfer system so that rapid transfer to tertiary general hospitals for critical patient treatment can be ensured within the infectious disease medical care system." They added, "An efficiently functioning medical care system can eliminate gaps in intensive care and secure beds for mild patients."

They particularly pointed out that in some medical centers designated as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals, nurses' monthly salaries are only 2.57 million won, whereas dispatched nurses receive 9.3 million won, urging, "The issue, which is causing serious conflicts due to lowered morale and deepening feelings of deprivation among frontline health care workers responding to COVID-19, must be resolved."

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