Expansion of 9,200 COVID-19 Beds by Next Month... "Preparing for Over 10,000 Confirmed Cases" (Update)

On the 21st, the COVID-19 screening clinic at Nowon-gu Public Health Center in Seoul was crowded with citizens seeking tests. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of midnight, the number of new confirmed cases increased by 5,202, bringing the total to 575,615. There are 1,022 critically ill patients, the second highest number ever. Photo by Moohnam Moon munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases rapidly increases, pushing frontline medical response capacity to its limits, the government is massively expanding COVID-19 hospital beds to overcome this challenge. The plan is to add about 2,250 beds within this month and approximately 6,940 beds by next month to relieve the medical field and prepare for situations where daily confirmed cases exceed 10,000.

Kwon Deok-cheol, First Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at a COVID-19 briefing on the morning of the 22nd, "We will additionally expand 6,944 inpatient beds, including 1,578 beds for severe patients, by the end of January," and added, "We will prepare and organize a medical system capable of fully handling 10,000 confirmed cases per day." Including the approximately 2,250 beds scheduled to be added by the end of this month through previously issued administrative orders for securing beds, about 9,200 beds will be secured by next month.

According to the Central Accident Response Headquarters' 'Additional Bed Expansion and Operation Plan to Overcome the Daily Recovery Crisis,' a total of 6,944 beds will be added by next month, combining 1,578 severe and semi-severe COVID-19 beds and 5,366 moderate beds. The headquarters explained, "Due to patient transfers and bed structure changes, it will take at least three weeks until actual operation, so operation is expected to be possible by mid-next month."

First, by implementing the previously issued administrative orders, 2,073 beds will be rapidly secured, including 158 severe beds, 189 semi-severe beds, and 1,726 moderate beds.

Additional administrative orders will be issued to tertiary general hospitals and national university hospitals to add 622 beds, including 414 severe beds and 208 semi-severe beds. Some public hospitals such as the National Medical Center, Seoul Medical Center, Veterans Hospital (one location), and Industrial Accident Hospital (one location) will transfer or discharge all general patients to convert into dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. Through this, 499 beds will be secured, including 9 severe beds and 490 semi-severe beds. Additionally, 3,000 beds (300 severe, 300 semi-severe, and 2,400 moderate) will be expanded by adding base dedicated hospitals. Some of these beds will be secured as special beds for dialysis, childbirth, etc., to support the rapid admission of high-risk patients such as pregnant women requiring immediate treatment.

For mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, 2,412 beds will be added by utilizing three university dormitories and three public institution training centers, and 'base living treatment centers' will also be secured.

On the 16th, medical staff are caring for a patient in the intensive care unit of Pakae Hospital, a COVID-19 dedicated hospital in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Medical personnel dispatch will also take place. The Central Accident Response Headquarters predicts that about 1,200 medical personnel, including 104 doctors and 1,107 nurses, will be needed to operate the additional beds.

To this end, except for the highest-need personnel, military doctors and public health doctors will be assigned to COVID-19 critical care hospitals. Training for new military doctors and public health doctors will be deferred. Additionally, 256 nurses dedicated to severe patients will be deployed to intensive care units as soon as their specialized critical care training is completed.

Deputy Head Kwon said, "The emergency plan for securing beds requires swift execution above all," and added, "We will check the implementation status weekly and establish on-site support teams to strengthen communication with medical sites." To secure these beds, the government has formed and operates an inter-ministerial Bed Securing Task Force (TF) led by Yoo Young-min, Chief of Staff of the Blue House. The TF is composed of minister-level officials from related ministries such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Education, as well as key figures from the hospital community, including the president of the Hospital Association, to monitor bed expansion status and address difficulties encountered on-site.

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