[Those Fighting the Cold Wave] Medical Staff Fading Away in -20°C Freezing Cold with Hot Packs...

Medical Staff Dedicated to Treatment Despite Cold Wave
Water Bottles Freeze Inside Container-Type Break Room... "Barely Enduring with Just One Hot Pack"
Worker Says, "More Support Personnel Needed"

On the morning of the 9th, at the temporary screening clinic in the Peace Gate Plaza of Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, medical staff are busily moving to ensure smooth testing amid the cold weather.

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Suhwan and Ryu Taemin] "It's so cold and tough, but we just endure it. Someone has to do this work."

At around 10:30 a.m. on the 9th at the Peace Gate Plaza in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Park Cheol (51), a reserve forces squad leader whom we met at the temporary COVID-19 screening site here, responded this way when asked if it was difficult. Although he had a smile on his face, his face looked full of fatigue.

On this day, Seoul dropped to minus 16.6 degrees Celsius, and a cold wave advisory was issued. Despite the severe cold, the temporary screening site was crowded with citizens coming for tests. The line of citizens waiting started 30 minutes before testing began and extended to the subway station entrance. Due to the cold weather, most people had their hoods flipped over their heads or had their hands in their pockets, stamping their feet to keep warm.

Medical staff wearing protective suits were busy guiding citizens on testing procedures and social distancing rules. Occasionally, when there were no people waiting, medical staff were seen warming their frozen hands near heaters to relieve the cold.

◆ Workers and Citizens "Thank you for your hard work" Express Concern for Each Other = The workers were concerned about the citizens visiting here. A worker dispatched from the reserve forces training support unit said, "We can warm ourselves inside the tent when there are no crowds, but citizens don’t even have heaters to warm their hands and feet."

Citizens visiting here were also worried about the medical staff and workers. Kim (28), an office worker who came for testing, said, "I’m concerned that medical staff work every day in such severe cold," adding, "I hope they take good care of their health."

On the morning of the 9th, medical staff are preparing for testing inside a tent set up at the temporary screening clinic in the Peace Gate Plaza of Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, ahead of the start of operations.

Around the same time, at a temporary clinic in Hangang Park near the southern end of Seogang Bridge, Yeouido, Seoul. The heater installed inside the tent was insufficient to block the cold wind from the Han River. A public official who has been working for four weeks said, "It’s true that it’s cold, but I work with the thought that I am helping the people struggling due to COVID-19."

◆ "One Hot Pack Is Not Enough... Additional Personnel Needed" = The only place where medical staff could rest to escape the cold was a small container behind the clinic. In the lunch break room, medical staff were seen relying on a single hot pack to get through their meals. Choi Youngbeom (50), an administrator from Yeongdeungpo District Office whom we met here, said, "We are barely getting by with just hot packs and one heater." Workers were melting frozen water bottles with the heater inside the container.

A container-type break room for personnel working at the temporary clinic under Seogang Bridge in Yeouido

Along with citizens’ complaints, the severe cold exhausted the medical staff’s stamina. Staff member B, who has been working at the Yeongdeungpo Public Health Center screening clinic for nearly a year, sighed, saying, "All I can say is that it’s really tough." He added, "Additional personnel support is needed so that medical staff can reduce their physical burden." A citizen, exhausted from waiting in the cold that day, complained, "I’m freezing to death. How long do we have to wait?"

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