"Patients Are Wandering via 119 Ambulances"... Medical Field Pushed to Its Limits in COVID-19 Response

Medical staff are transferring a patient at Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] "The emergency room and wards can be described as utter chaos. With the surge in COVID-19 infected patients, the length of stay for confirmed patients in the emergency room exceeds 100 hours as a basic matter, and there have even been cases where patients were isolated in the emergency room for over 300 hours before being discharged." (Yeo Han-sol, Emergency Medicine Resident at Ewha Mokdong Hospital and President of the Korean Intern Resident Association)

According to the medical community on the 10th, as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread daily and confirmed cases surge, the medical field is suffering from a shortage of beds and personnel, reaching the worst levels day by day. Medical workers, who are struggling with intense workloads, are urging health authorities to come up with solutions as soon as possible.

Yeo Han-sol, president of the Korean Intern Resident Association, held a press conference at the Korean Medical Association's temporary office in Yongsan the day before and said, "Residents are witnessing firsthand the tragic collapse of South Korea's medical system, which is starkly revealed by COVID-19 infections," conveying the severity of the situation on the ground.

He stated, "In the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas, there are no beds left to accommodate critically ill patients, yet health authorities are misleadingly claiming that beds are still available." He mentioned cases where patients infected with COVID-19 are not transferred to dedicated hospitals, and patients who require urgent treatment for conditions such as myocardial infarction, decreased consciousness, cerebral hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction are wandering in 119 ambulances. He added, "I am strongly angered that no system is operating while people who need treatment are not receiving it in time."

On the 9th, at the Korean Medical Association temporary hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Yeo Hansol, president of the Korean Intern Resident Association (center), is speaking at a press conference urging improvements to the COVID-19 frontline situation.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to President Yeo, the situation on the ground is such that patients are effectively being neglected, with their conditions rapidly worsening while waiting due to a lack of beds, resulting in deaths before arriving at the hospital or requiring immediate ventilator treatment upon arrival. He cited a recent case where a man in his 60s, whose entire family of three had been infected with COVID-19 and were quarantined at home awaiting care, was transported to the emergency room due to severe respiratory distress but was already in cardiac arrest upon arrival and ultimately died despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other treatments. President Yeo described this as a "tragedy," saying, "He died waiting for medical attention in the heart of Seoul, South Korea, which boasts the world's best medical standards."

Director Park Hanna of the Korean Intern Resident Association explained regarding such cases, "Among every 10 cardiac arrest patients brought to the emergency room, 1 to 2 are confirmed COVID-19 patients," and added, "The cardiac arrest occurred due to delays in transfer caused by the inability to find a bed." She further stated, "It is no exaggeration to say that the emergency room is a living hell right now," and added, "Medical staff are faced with the dilemma of deciding whether the patient should be saved to the end or if they require intensive care."

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