Daejeon 0, Chungnam 1, Gyeongnam 4... Remaining Severe Patient Beds Running Out

295 Available Beds Out of 814 Nationwide Severe Patient Dedicated Beds
Health and Medical Workers' Union "Total Strike Next Month Without Workforce Expansion"

On the last day of the Liberation Day holiday, the 16th, a citizen is undergoing a test at the temporary COVID-19 screening site set up at Anseong Rest Area in the Seoul direction. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] As the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases surged again to the 2,100 range, marking the second highest ever, concerns over a shortage of hospital beds have intensified. With the spread continuing, hospital beds across the country are filling up rapidly, and in some areas such as Daejeon, there are no severe patient beds left, triggering an emergency situation.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 19th, 13 more deaths were reported the previous day, bringing the total death toll to 2,191. This is the highest number of daily deaths since the 4th wave. As the total number of new confirmed cases grows, the number of critically ill patients is also rapidly increasing. The number of critically ill patients rose by 24 to 390 the previous day, approaching the 400 mark.

◆Severe Patient Beds at Full Capacity= The number of critically ill patients has remained in the 300s for 20 consecutive days since the 31st of last month, increasing the burden on the healthcare system. Although the government is working to secure additional beds in response to the surge in cases, the number of beds is not keeping pace with the scale of the outbreak, resulting in saturation of severe patient beds and facilities for asymptomatic and mild patients in some regions.

According to the Central Accident Response Headquarters, as of 5 p.m. on the 18th, out of a total of 814 dedicated COVID-19 severe patient beds nationwide, 295 beds are available for admission.

However, in some regions, all severe patient beds are fully occupied, leaving no capacity to admit more patients. In Daejeon, all 14 severe patient beds are occupied, leaving zero available beds. Chungnam has only one bed left out of 18, Gyeongnam has just 4 out of 36 beds available, and Gangwon has only 6 out of 24 beds free. Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center emphasized, "At the current rate of spread, bed shortages will occur soon. To avoid repeating past shortages, preemptive measures should be taken, especially in regions with weak healthcare systems."

On the 19th, citizens are waiting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the vaccination center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

◆Healthcare Workforce Shortage and Health Workers' Union Strike= The government maintains that despite the ongoing 4th wave, there is still capacity to respond. Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, explained at a briefing, "During the peak of the 3rd wave, the highest daily cases were in the 1,000 range, with about 150-160 weekly deaths. Currently, about 30 weekly deaths are projected."

Son added, "Although the current number of confirmed cases in the 2,000 range is twice that of the 3rd wave, the absolute number of deaths has decreased." The government stated that since the overall number of confirmed cases has increased, the number of elderly confirmed cases and deaths may also rise, so the priority is to reduce the total number of confirmed cases.

Regarding criticism that there is a discrepancy between the government's announced bed status and the actual available beds, Son said, "The bed and residential treatment center status announced by the government reflects available beds, and budgets are provided based on immediate usability. However, there may be a delay of a day or two in deploying staff when utilizing beds."

As the prolonged COVID-19 crisis has severely fatigued medical staff, calls for workforce reinforcement are growing. The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, held a press conference the previous day, declaring that if the government does not expand public healthcare and medical personnel, they will launch a full-scale strike next month. In response, Son stated, "We are currently in discussions with the Health and Medical Workers' Union, negotiating staffing standards requested by the union. We plan to announce any major progress."

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