Emergency Rooms Crowded with Patients During Chuseok Holiday... Use Clinics or Hospitals for Mild Symptoms

During the Chuseok golden holiday period, many hospitals and clinics close or reduce their operating hours, making it difficult if you suddenly fall ill. This year, the holiday is extended due to the temporary holiday designated between Chuseok and National Foundation Day (October 3), increasing the likelihood of more people experiencing such situations. As a result, emergency rooms are always crowded with patients during the Chuseok holiday period. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of patients visiting emergency medical centers nationwide during last year’s Chuseok holiday was 1.9 times higher than on regular weekdays and 1.5 times higher than on weekends. A significant portion of these were mild cases.

When mild patients visit emergency rooms, there is a risk that critically ill patients, for whom golden time is crucial, may not receive timely treatment. Additionally, visiting the emergency room for minor illnesses results in long waiting times and higher medical fees compared to visiting regular hospitals or clinics.

Therefore, if urgent treatment is not necessary but medical care is needed during the Chuseok holiday, it is recommended to check and use hospitals, clinics, or public health centers that are open. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, an average of 487 hospitals and clinics and 5,226 pharmacies operate daily nationwide during the Chuseok holiday period.

If you want to know which hospitals and clinics are open, you can download and run the emergency medical information service application "E-Gen." Based on the user’s location information, you can see nearby open hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies on the map. Information on night clinics, automated external defibrillator (AED) locations, and emergency treatment guidelines are also available.

By accessing the Emergency Medical Portal, a separate notification window displaying information on open hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies will appear starting from the 28th, when the holiday begins. You can also check consultation hours and medical departments. This information is also available on the Ministry of Health and Welfare or public health center websites.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, "As the number of patients visiting emergency rooms is expected to increase during the Chuseok holiday, please check the information and use hospitals, clinics, or public health centers instead of emergency rooms for non-emergency mild cases."

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