Due to the Surge in Severe COVID-19 Cases... Government Secures Additional 171 Beds for Critical Patients (Update)

"Medical Response Possible Even with 1,600 Daily Patients in the Seoul Metropolitan Area"

On the 12th, as 1,987 new COVID-19 cases were reported and the nationwide spread continued, citizens visiting the screening clinic set up at the Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul were waiting to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] As concerns over a shortage of hospital beds rise amid the unabated spread of COVID-19 in South Korea, the government has decided to secure additional beds.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, stated at the COVID-19 regular briefing on the 13th, "In the metropolitan area, where the highest number of patients are occurring, the availability of hospital beds is gradually decreasing. Currently, about 70% of intensive care unit beds in the metropolitan area are in use, with 344 out of a total of 497 beds occupied."

The government anticipates difficulties in responding to patients if a large-scale outbreak continues in the metropolitan area and has decided to issue an administrative order to secure hospital beds. First, 51 beds will be secured by adding new hospitals dedicated to severe patients, and an additional 120 beds will be expanded from existing beds, totaling 171 beds to be secured within two weeks.

Specifically, nine general hospitals with more than 700 licensed beds (five in Seoul and four in Gyeonggi) will be required to allocate 1% of their licensed beds as dedicated beds for severe patients, adding 51 beds. Additionally, for tertiary general hospitals and national university hospitals located in the metropolitan area, the bed allocation ratio will be increased from the current 1% to 1.5%, securing 120 beds.

For moderate to severe dedicated treatment beds, 26 metropolitan general hospitals with 300 to 700 beds that are not currently operating COVID-19 treatment beds will be required to mobilize at least 5% of their licensed beds, aiming to secure a total of 594 beds.

With this expansion of beds, it is expected that appropriate medical responses will be possible even if about 1,600 patients occur daily in the metropolitan area.

Son said, "We are continuously monitoring the current spread trend while reinforcing the medical system to ensure that there is no failure in medical care and that the system operates properly according to the trend. We will continue to evaluate the situation and, if necessary, devise more proactive measures."

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