Nonstop Ringing Phone Bell... Medical Consultation Center Already Overloaded

Home Treatment on the Test ③

Medical Care, Prescription, and Administrative Inquiries
Delays Lead to Complaints and Requests for Understanding
Hospitals and Clinics Face Preparation Shortcomings
Overwhelmed by Managing Home Treatment Patients
49% of Public Health Centers Report "High Stress"

On the afternoon of the 10th, when the government launched the new COVID-19 home treatment system, medical staff were working at the Home Treatment Medical Consultation Center set up at Dongbu Hospital in Seoul. From this day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government began full-scale operation of two 'Home Treatment Medical Consultation Centers' for general patients (Dongbu Hospital and Seonam Hospital). [Image source=Yonhap News]

"I didn't even have time to drink a glass of water, let alone have lunch. Patient care is normally part of our duties, but since this is my first time using the call center equipment, I'm still not familiar with it, and with the phone ringing nonstop, we can't even take breaks at scheduled times."

On the morning of the 11th, the second day after the government switched to a new system dividing COVID-19 confirmed home treatment patients into 'intensive management group' and 'general management group,' the phone at the 'Home Treatment Medical Consultation Center' located in Dongbu Municipal Hospital in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, rang incessantly around 8:30 a.m.

Here, 12 nurses work in three shifts, and five doctors take turns working to provide medical consultations for patients undergoing 24-hour home treatment.

Lee Minhwa, head nurse at Dongbu Hospital, explained, "On the first day yesterday, there were many consultation calls from early evening until midnight, and most patients received prescriptions. For patients needing a doctor's consultation, we connect them, then fax the prescription to the pharmacy once it's issued, and for patients who cannot come to pick up their medicine, we also check to ensure the public health center can deliver the medication." A hospital official said, "If the number of confirmed cases increases and calls rise, we may need to deploy additional personnel."

With the Omicron variant causing a surge in COVID-19 cases, there are concerns about staffing shortages not only among public health centers and hospital/clinic personnel caring for patients on-site but also among public service workers.

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, as of the previous day, there are 1,900 local clinics and hospitals (including 90 respiratory clinics) nationwide where general management group home treatment patients can receive phone consultations and prescriptions, 145 home treatment medical consultation centers, and 393 home treatment management medical institutions providing remote care for confirmed patients. There are 472 designated COVID-19 pharmacies. However, it is challenging for these facilities to handle all home treatment patients, which exceed 170,000.

In Seoul, 535 medical institutions capable of remote consultations were announced as of this date, but many of them have been criticized for not being immediately reachable due to lack of preparation or handling outpatient visits on-site. The number of medical institutions and pharmacies varies asymmetrically by region and district. In Seoul, among 387 local clinics and hospitals capable of phone consultations, 114 are in Songpa-gu, but there are only two designated pharmacies there. Conversely, Dongjak-gu has four designated pharmacies but only two hospitals.

Public Health Centers Are Limited, Local Clinics Also in Confusion

Local clinics and hospitals participating in COVID-19 testing, diagnosis, and treatment are also experiencing confusion. A representative from a designated respiratory treatment medical institution in Seoul said, "We receive 10 to 20 inquiry calls, and since guidelines change frequently, it is often difficult to manage. Not only patients but also administrative tasks such as registering confirmed cases electronically and sending data to public health centers are quite burdensome."

An official from the Korean Medical Association also pointed out, "Even clinics and hospitals are confused to the extent that they learn about the government's changed guidelines through media reports. To increase the number of local clinics participating in remote consultations, clear guidelines and communication are necessary."

As the COVID-19 crisis has extended beyond two years, public health center personnel have long reached their limits. According to a perception survey conducted by Professor Yum Yoosoon's research team at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health targeting 517 public health center staff, 48.9% of respondents were found to be in a 'highly stressed state requiring immediate help.' A Gyeonggi Province quarantine authority official lamented, "With the surge in confirmed cases, screening clinics, epidemiological investigations, and counseling staff are all overwhelmed with heavy workloads."

Production of self-test kits, a key medical device in the quarantine system overhaul, is also facing setbacks due to staffing shortages. A representative from Sugentech said, "Although we are continuously increasing production capacity, it is difficult to specify the exact operating rate, but demand still outpaces supply. Regardless of how we acquire equipment, staffing is not smooth."

On the 10th, amid the continued spread of COVID-19, a "Home Medicine Kit for COVID-19 Home Treatment" product is being sold at a pharmacy in Seoul. As the Omicron variant spreads rapidly, with tens of thousands of confirmed cases daily, health authorities have shifted their response strategy to focus treatment resources on vulnerable groups. Confirmed patients under home treatment, excluding those aged 60 and above, immunocompromised individuals, and patients in their 50s with underlying conditions, do not receive regular monitoring from medical institutions. Additionally, home treatment kits containing fever reducers and oxygen saturation meters are not provided. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

"We Must Prepare for Social Essential Workforce Gaps"

Recently, the government allowed some confirmed medical personnel to continue working to prevent medical service gaps and maintain medical institution functions. Earlier, as the Omicron variant spread in North America and Europe, a surge in confirmed cases from late last year to early this year caused significant public sector workforce shortages. California deployed military personnel to COVID-19 testing sites last month, and in New York, garbage collection was delayed, and shortages of firefighters and paramedics occurred. France allowed asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic medical staff infected with COVID-19 to continue working in hospitals.

Experts agree that preparation is necessary here as well. They emphasize the need to secure replacement personnel in advance in case essential social workers such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and healthcare workers become widely infected or quarantined. Professor Kim Woojoo of Korea University Guro Hospital's Infectious Diseases Department said, "Any organization can be paralyzed if many members become infected, so a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) should be prepared and kept on standby."

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