Bundang Seoul National University Hospital Selected as 'Metropolitan Infectious Disease Specialized Hospital' ... Establishing 342 Beds

Government Support Fund of 44.9 Billion KRW + 300 Billion KRW Self-Investment for the Largest Domestic Project Plan

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Bundang Seoul National University Hospital has been selected as an infectious disease specialized hospital for the Seoul metropolitan area.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced on the 10th that Bundang Seoul National University Hospital was finally selected after receiving the highest overall score among four medical institutions that participated in the public contest for establishing infectious disease specialized hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gangwon).

Bundang Seoul National University Hospital received high scores in most evaluation areas, including its track record in treating infectious diseases such as COVID-19, plans for operating an infectious disease specialized hospital, and suitability of the construction site.

Infectious disease specialized hospitals play a role in quickly isolating and treating patients when a large-scale outbreak of a new infectious disease occurs within the region, thereby preventing the spread of infection at an early stage. In crisis situations, they manage the referral and transfer system of patients between cities and provinces within the region and serve as the command center for infectious disease medical response. During normal times, they strengthen infectious disease response capabilities through professional personnel education and training.

This public contest was conducted from December 3 of last year to January 13 of this year, targeting advanced or general hospitals located in the Seoul metropolitan area that were designated as hospitals with dedicated beds for severe COVID-19 patients and semi-intensive or intensive care beds.

The Disease Control Agency explained, "Bundang Seoul National University Hospital was highly evaluated for accumulating a track record of playing a key role in quarantine and patient treatment in the Seoul metropolitan area during various infectious disease outbreaks in Korea."

Following this selection, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital will receive government support of approximately 44.9 billion KRW to establish 6 intensive care unit beds, 30 negative pressure rooms, 2 outpatient observation beds, and 2 negative pressure operating rooms. Additionally, the hospital plans to make a large-scale investment exceeding 300 billion KRW on its own to add 306 beds (11 intensive care unit beds, 15 negative pressure rooms, 91 general isolation rooms, and 189 general beds). The final establishment scale will be 342 beds, making it the largest infectious disease specialized hospital in Korea, with a total floor area of 88,097 square meters and a building spanning 6 basement floors to 9 above-ground floors.

The five regional infectious disease specialized hospitals nationwide include Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Chosun University Hospital in the Honam region, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital in the Chungcheong region, Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital in the Gyeongnam region, and Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital in the Gyeongbuk region.

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