"COVID-19 Testing, Which Hospital Should You Go To?" ... Confusion from Day One

After the holiday, testing demand surges... Delayed announcement of participating hospital list
Connection delays as users flood the HIRA website

On the 3rd, citizens lined up to get tested for COVID-19 at the Respiratory Specialist Clinic of Hana Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the first day of the nationwide shift to a high-risk group-centered COVID-19 testing and treatment system, confusion arose as there was no proper notice about which hospitals to visit for testing.

According to reports from medical institutions and citizens on the 3rd, from the morning of that day, neighborhood clinics and hospitals also began participating in testing and treatment due to the transition of the COVID-19 care system, but since the list of these hospitals was not disclosed, users found themselves in a difficult situation.

The health authorities announced that the list of 'Respiratory Care Designated Medical Institutions' participating in COVID-19 testing and treatment would be published on the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) website on the same day, but the notice was not uploaded by 11 a.m. Around noon, a list of 181 clinics and hospitals was posted, but as many users tried to access it simultaneously, the HIRA website experienced delays or failures in file downloads.

Previously, the health authorities stated in a briefing that "As of the 1st, 1,004 medical institutions had applied to the Korean Medical Association to be designated as respiratory care medical institutions, of which 343 began operations on the 3rd, and the rest will gradually expand their services." However, the list released by the government only included 181 clinics and hospitals as of the afternoon of that day.

Moreover, some hospitals listed on the HIRA website that day perform rapid antigen tests or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests but do not participate in home treatment management. Therefore, based on the currently disclosed list, it is difficult to confirm whether each participating hospital also manages home treatment.

Since the day marked the first return to daily life after the Lunar New Year holiday, the demand for COVID-19 testing was expected to be higher than usual. In particular, at nationwide screening clinics, those who are not 'priority test subjects' such as people aged 60 and over were to receive rapid antigen tests instead of PCR tests, leading to considerable demand for rapid antigen testing using professional kits at hospitals rather than screening clinics.

Meanwhile, the HIRA website also published a list of 391 'Respiratory Dedicated Clinics' on the same day. Currently, 428 respiratory dedicated clinics equipped with facilities such as negative pressure equipment and separate pathways for general and suspected patients have been designated nationwide, and among them, 391 clinics have started testing and treatment on a priority basis.

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