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The current site of the National Medical Center, operating as the Central Infectious Disease Hospital (right in the photo), and the site of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where a new building is being planned (left). The COVID-19 isolation treatment ward is being used by remodeling an existing vacant building on the former U.S. military site.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] A new isolation treatment ward for COVID-19 will be established next month on the former U.S. military site in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the Central Infectious Disease Hospital is planned to be built. The ward will have a capacity of 120 beds.

The National Medical Center announced on the 28th that it has decided to prioritize building the 'Central Infectious Disease Hospital COVID-19 Isolation Treatment Ward' on the site of the former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Bangsan-dong, Jung-gu, where the new hospital is being relocated. This is a temporary measure in response to the recent surge in COVID-19 patients centered around Seoul and the metropolitan area, which has worsened the shortage of hospital beds.

The medical center stated, "Since October, we have been constructing and operating negative pressure isolation wards for treating severe patients in preparation for the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and large-scale patient outbreaks. However, despite mobilizing all public medical infrastructure, the number of secured beds cannot keep up with the daily average of 1,000 confirmed cases."

This initiative was realized through the decisive cooperation of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which provided budget and personnel support, the Ministry of National Defense, which manages the current site and buildings, and the Jung-gu Office, the administrative authority. Previously, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Seoul Metropolitan Government had discussed relocating the National Medical Center to this site and constructing the Central Infectious Disease Hospital, which had only been nominally operated, in coordination with related agencies.

On the 11th, medical staff are seen busy at the negative pressure isolation ward of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

This site was formerly used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is currently vacant. On the 11th, usage rights were returned by the U.S. military. The Ministry of National Defense has permitted the site to be used free of charge. Some buildings within the site closest to the National Medical Center’s main hospital will be remodeled and used as temporary isolation treatment beds until the COVID-19 situation ends. After three weeks of construction, the goal is to open the ward by the second week of next month.

The ward to be established will treat patients with mild to moderate symptoms. It is expected to primarily admit elderly patients or those with underlying conditions who have mild symptoms but are at risk of deterioration. The medical center anticipates that this will help resolve the shortage of treatment beds and enable efficient bed management by staging ward functions according to changes in critical patient conditions. Another advantage is the proximity of about 25 meters to the National Medical Center, which can treat severe patients. Approximately 90 external personnel, including military doctors and external medical staff dispatched by the existing medical team and the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, will be deployed.

Jung Ki-hyun, director of the National Medical Center, said, "Although there are administrative difficulties immediately after the return of usage rights from the U.S. military, we will do our best to overcome the bed shortage crisis by joining forces with the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Jung-gu Office, and others who understand the urgency of the health security crisis and are cooperating."

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