Chungnam Autonomous Police 'Project No. 1', Operation of Emergency Medical Center for Intoxicated Persons

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The ‘Intoxicated Person Emergency Medical Center,’ the first project of the Chungnam Autonomous Police Committee, will begin operation on the 14th.

The center will initially be established and operated at Seosan Medical Center, with plans to expand to Cheonan Medical Center and other locations in the future.

The province operates the center with the aim of appropriate protection, treatment, and management of intoxicated individuals. The purpose is to reduce police manpower waste caused by intoxicated persons and enhance responsiveness to emergency situations.

According to the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, a total of 65,355 intoxicated person-related reports were received in Chungnam from 2018 to 2020.

This accounts for 2.8% of the total 2,339,362 emergency 112 calls received during the same period, which is higher than the national average of 2.6%.

On-site, it has been highlighted that police manpower waste is severe when officers respond to intoxicated person reports and transfer or protect the intoxicated individuals to their guardians.

Above all, it is true that the police bore a heavy responsibility as cases of sudden death, self-harm, or fights and assaults with other complainants frequently occurred while protecting intoxicated persons at police stations or other facilities.

These issues also led to delayed deployment of police personnel and slower responses to other emergency situations, prompting ongoing calls for improvement measures.

The Autonomous Police Committee of the province, considering these field conditions, designated two medical centers in Cheonan and Seosan as intoxicated person emergency medical centers in consultation with the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency and local medical centers.

Among these, Seosan Medical Center will begin practical center operations from the 14th with police officers stationed on-site. Cheonan Medical Center is also scheduled to start center operations in conjunction with its release from being a designated COVID-19 hospital.

Ultimately, the Autonomous Police Committee plans to analyze and synthesize the pilot operation results and effectiveness of these centers, and if deemed effective, to additionally establish and operate centers at Gongju and Hongseong Medical Centers.

The center operates by having medical staff and police officers stationed at the medical center treat, protect, and control intoxicated persons until their intoxication subsides.

Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungnam Province, said, “The center will distinguish between the protection and management of intoxicated persons and will be properly equipped and operated with a related system. In particular, the center will grow into a specialized institution with additional functions such as improving drinking habits, rather than merely serving as a simple shelter for intoxicated persons.”

No Seung-il, Chief of the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, said, “The operation of the center will contribute to strengthening the policing capabilities of officers on the ground. The police will regularly analyze and evaluate the center’s operational performance and work to address any issues in its operation.”

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