"Preparing for Over 10,000 Confirmed Cases"... Expanding 10,000 Hospital Beds by Next Month (Update)

Government Announces 'Additional Bed Expansion and Operation Plan'
2,250 Beds Secured This Month, 6,940 Beds Next Month
National University Hospitals Effectively Mobilize All COVID-19 Related Resources

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 Moon Honam 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 increase about 2,250 beds within this month and approximately 6,940 beds by next month to relieve pressure on medical sites and to be able to respond to situations where daily confirmed cases exceed 10,000. Although concerns about medical service gaps for non-COVID-19 patients arise during this large-scale bed expansion, authorities consider this a necessary measure for now.

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, "By the end of January, we will additionally expand 1,578 beds for severe patients and a total of 6,944 inpatient beds," adding, "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 bed procurement, about 9,200 beds will be secured by next month.

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 recorded. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

According to the Central Accident Response Headquarters' 'Additional Bed Expansion and Operation Plan to Overcome the Crisis of Returning to Normal Life,' a total of 6,944 beds will be added by next month, including 1,578 severe and semi-severe COVID-19 beds and 5,366 moderate severity beds. The headquarters explained, "Due to patient transfers and bed restructuring, it will take at least three weeks before 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 quickly secured, including 158 severe beds, 189 semi-severe beds, and 1,726 moderate severity 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. Approximately 40% of all adult intensive care units in national university hospitals will be dedicated to COVID-19 treatment. Excluding intensive care units unrelated to COVID-19 treatment, such as orthopedic surgery, most internal medicine intensive care units are being allocated to COVID-19 care.

Some public hospitals, including the National Medical Center, Seoul Medical Center, Veterans Hospitals (1 location), and Industrial Accident Hospitals (1 location), will transfer or discharge all general patients and convert into dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. Through this, 499 beds will be secured, including 9 severe beds and 490 semi-severe beds. Additionally, regional dedicated hospitals will be added to expand 3,000 beds (300 severe, 300 semi-severe, and 2,400 moderate severity). Some of these beds will be secured as special beds for dialysis, childbirth, etc., to support rapid admission of high-risk patients such as pregnant women requiring immediate treatment.

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

Regarding concerns that treatment rights for general patients may not be guaranteed due to adjustments in non-urgent 'elective surgeries' or outpatient care during the bed procurement process, authorities explained that these are emergency measures due to unavoidable circumstances.

Son Young-rae, Head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "While securing maximum beds and personnel for COVID-19, it is realistically impossible to maintain beds and personnel for general treatment without disruption," adding, "As COVID-19 treatment increases, a reduction in general treatment will accompany it." He further stated, "Without expanding personnel in the mid-to-long term, it is difficult to propose immediate response methods even in actual medical sites," and "We will respond by maximizing turnover and efficiency."

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 Moon Honam munonam@

Massive dispatch of medical personnel will also take place. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures 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, military doctors and public health doctors, excluding the highest-need personnel, will be assigned to hospitals treating severe COVID-19 patients. Training for new military doctors and public health doctors will be deferred. Additionally, 256 nurses specialized in severe patient care will be deployed to intensive care units as soon as their specialized training is completed.

Solutions will also be sought for conflicts arising from wage disparities between existing staff and dispatched personnel. The government has prepared support measures to expand regular hospital medical staff rather than relying solely on dispatched personnel. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will support up to 50% of labor costs for up to six months if medical institutions hire dispatched personnel after their dispatch period ends. Furthermore, a monthly infection control allowance of about 1.5 million KRW will be newly established for COVID-19 medical staff, and flexible personnel management will be encouraged by exempting regulations such as total labor cost caps for national and public hospitals.

Son Young-rae said, "Regarding criticisms that the wage structure for short-term dispatched personnel is irrational, we will adjust dispatch allowances based on risk and job difficulty and eliminate unnecessary expenses such as travel allowances," adding, "When these aspects are harmonized, the wage gap between dispatched personnel and hospital staff will decrease."

Kwon Deok-cheol emphasized, "The emergency plan for securing beds requires rapid execution above all," and added, "We will check implementation status weekly and establish an on-site support team to strengthen communication with medical sites." The government has formed and is operating an inter-ministerial Bed Procurement Task Force (TF) led by Yoo Young-min, Chief Secretary to the Blue House. The TF includes ministers from related ministries such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Education, and key figures from the hospital sector, including the Hospital Association president, to monitor bed expansion progress and address difficulties encountered on-site.

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