Seoul City Launches First Operation of Four 'Severe Trauma Final Treatment Centers'... Securing the Golden Time

Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital, National Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital Designated
Trauma Dedicated Teams Including Trauma Surgery, Equipped with ICU and Operating Rooms for 24/7 Intensive Care 365 Days

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Four ‘Seoul Severe Trauma Final Treatment Centers,’ where severe trauma patients can receive specialized treatment 24/7 throughout the year, have simultaneously begun operations this month. This is the first time that severe trauma final treatment centers have been designated and operated in Seoul.

According to Seoul City on the 21st, the four centers?Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital, National Medical Center, and Seoul National University Hospital?have started operations as severe trauma final treatment centers.

The Seoul Severe Trauma Final Treatment Centers provide final treatment such as surgery for severe trauma patients transferred from emergency medical centers. They are equipped with a ‘trauma dedicated team’ consisting of trauma surgery, radiology, emergency medicine, and trauma coordinators, as well as specialized treatment facilities including operating rooms, angiography rooms, and intensive care units to provide rapid and intensive care.

Seoul City fully funds each center with a budget of 630 million KRW to secure publicness, establishing a public-private cooperative medical system. Last September, Seoul City comprehensively reviewed the capacity for treatment facilities and medical personnel for severe trauma patients and designated the four hospitals as ‘Seoul Severe Trauma Final Treatment Centers.’

With the full-scale operation of the Seoul Severe Trauma Final Treatment Centers, the ‘Seoul-type Severe Trauma Emergency Medical System’ has been established, linking emergency treatment (Seoul-type Golden Time Emergency Medical Centers, 26 locations) → rapid and safe transfer (SMICU, 2 units) → final treatment (Seoul Severe Trauma Final Treatment Centers, 4 locations).

Seoul City expects to strengthen securing the golden time for treating severe trauma patients. The goal is to protect the golden time for severe trauma patient treatment even amid the COVID-19 response situation.

If a severe trauma patient visiting a Seoul-type Golden Time Emergency Medical Center is judged to require ICU admission and emergency surgery but the hospital’s situation is not favorable, the patient is transferred to a Seoul Severe Trauma Final Treatment Center. The transfer of severe trauma patients is carried out quickly and safely via a special ambulance called ‘SMICU’ (Seoul Mobile Intensive Care Unit, a public transfer system for severe emergency patients), known as a mobile ICU.

Seoul City will also provide additional support to strengthen transfer and treatment within the golden time for severe trauma patients. The ‘Seoul Severe Trauma Final Treatment Center Council,’ involving Seoul City, the Central Emergency Medical Center, Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters, and the four final treatment centers, will operate to support stable center operations.

Park Yu-mi, Director of the Seoul City Citizen Health Bureau, said, “With the operation of these four severe trauma final treatment centers, we expect faster and more specialized treatment to be provided. Seoul City will continue to actively cooperate with private medical institutions to manage the trauma system continuously and expand and strengthen support so that severe trauma patients can receive appropriate treatment within the golden time.”

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