Medical Staff 'Cry Out' Amid Surge in COVID-19 Cases: "Ad Hoc Staffing Support Measures Are Not Enough"

Na Sun-ja, Chairperson of the Health and Medical Workers' Union, is speaking at a press conference held on the 23rd at the Health and Medical Workers' Union in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, urging measures to address the exhaustion and departure of medical personnel due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] As confirmed cases surge due to the third wave of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), concerns have been raised that patients are not receiving appropriate treatment due to shortages of personnel and facilities in medical settings.

The National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union recently held a press conference at the union office in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, stating, "With the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 patients centered in the metropolitan area, appropriate medical institutions have not been secured according to severity levels," and added, "Most regional public hospitals, including local medical centers designated as dedicated hospitals, lack facilities, equipment suitable for intensive care, and even 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 increased explosively, 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 carried out, thereby improving the infectious disease treatment system," and added, "An efficiently operating treatment system can eliminate gaps in intensive care and secure beds for mild patients."

They particularly pointed out that some medical centers designated as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals pay nurses a monthly salary of 2.57 million won, while dispatched nurses receive 9.3 million won, urging, "This issue, which has caused serious conflicts due to the decline in morale and deepening sense of deprivation among frontline health care workers responding to COVID-19, must be resolved."

The union stated, "Stop relying on makeshift personnel support measures," and warned, "If appropriate support measures for existing health care personnel are not prepared, exhausted current workers will have no reason to stay in the field."

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