High-Risk COVID-19 Groups to Receive Testing and Prescription Within a Day... Face-to-Face Medical System Reorganization

'Fast Track' Applied for Elderly and Patients with Underlying Conditions
Designated 'Reserve Institutions' for Separate Management in Preparation for Re-epidemic

On the 9th, medical staff are entering the emergency medical center at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] A 'fast track' system will be introduced to enable high-risk groups such as the elderly aged 60 and over and patients with underlying conditions to quickly receive COVID-19 testing, prescription of antiviral drugs, and hospitalization all within a day. The COVID-19 face-to-face treatment hospitals and clinics will be reorganized, and emergency room beds and medical staff that had been suspended will return to emergency medical care duties.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 11th that it received a report from the Central Accident Response Headquarters on the "Direction for Establishing a Sustainable Infectious Disease Response System through Transition to a General Medical System" and discussed the matter.

The transition to a general medical system is scheduled to be fully implemented after the 'settling phase,' but considering the need to minimize confusion in the medical field, it will be promoted gradually.

The government has prioritized rapid response for high-risk groups with a high COVID-19 fatality rate. Accordingly, high-risk groups will be able to check their test results on the same day and receive prescriptions for oral antiviral treatments. If hospitalization is deemed necessary, they will be promptly linked to designated base hospitals to ensure priority admission.

Neighborhood hospitals and clinics capable of face-to-face treatment will also be reorganized. Currently, face-to-face treatment institutions are divided into respiratory clinics, designated respiratory treatment medical institutions, outpatient treatment centers, etc., which lowers efficiency.

Therefore, if infection control conditions such as separate pathways, dedicated treatment spaces, and ventilation are met, COVID-19 confirmed patients will be able to receive testing and face-to-face treatment, simplifying the COVID-19 face-to-face treatment system. The names of these hospitals will also be newly designated to reflect the nature of face-to-face treatment medical institutions.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters explained, "The scale of designated neighborhood hospitals and clinics will be determined considering the scale of confirmed cases and accessibility," adding, "The ultimate goal is for the majority of hospitals and clinics to participate in this system in the long term."

The emergency medical system mobilized during the COVID-19 crisis will also return to normal. Emergency room beds and medical staff, which have been flexibly operated for COVID-19 treatment, will focus solely on emergency medical care with the transition to the settling phase. Suspected COVID-19 emergency patients will be tested at emergency room triage stations or cohort isolation zones and, if necessary, admitted to isolation beds.

In preparation for the anticipated autumn and winter resurgence projected by domestic experts, the quarantine authorities will proactively secure medical institutions, beds, and medical personnel. Among face-to-face treatment medical institutions, 'reserve institutions' will be selected and designated for separate management to enable immediate participation in case of a resurgence.

By utilizing national inpatient treatment beds and emergency treatment beds, a standing response bed capacity will be secured, and additional patient-dedicated nurses will be trained. Experienced nurses will be prioritized for pediatric, maternity, and dialysis beds, and infectious disease specialized education will be provided to medical personnel working in general hospitals.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said, "The ultimate goal is to stably transition to a general medical system and establish a sustainable infectious disease response system while being able to respond appropriately to a resurgence." He added, "We will concretize and faithfully implement the roadmap tasks, including this, to protect the lives and safety of the people."

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