Incheon Veterans Hospital Emergency Room Temporarily Closed... "Low Usage and Difficulty Hiring Specialists"

Nineteen Staff Members Recommended for Resignation, Transfer, or Leave

Yonhap News

Incheon Veterans Hospital has reportedly temporarily suspended emergency room operations citing 'management efficiency' as the reason.

According to data submitted by the Korea Veterans Welfare and Medical Service to Kim Yong-man, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 13th, Incheon Veterans Hospital decided to suspend its emergency room on the 19th of last month. The main reason is the worsening hospital operating balance due to low utilization compared to the manpower invested.

The hospital stated, "The average number of nighttime emergency room users per day last year was 2.98, indicating low emergency patient usage, and it is difficult to hire emergency room specialists," adding, "Complaints about patient inconvenience have arisen due to a lack of emergency treatment capabilities such as surgeries and procedures," as the reason for the suspension.

Incheon Veterans Hospital operates with a single specialist, and due to insufficient specialists for follow-up treatment and an inadequate medical system, there has been a tendency to avoid transporting 119 emergency patients. Accordingly, Incheon Veterans Hospital decided to suspend the emergency room until it secures comprehensive hospital-level treatment capabilities.

Currently, Incheon Veterans Hospital is classified as a 'hospital-level (general hospital)' rather than a 'general hospital,' so operating an emergency room is not mandatory. The hospital explained that it plans to reopen the emergency room after improving its treatment capabilities.

The Korea Veterans Welfare and Medical Service stated that regarding the reactivation of the emergency room, it will make a decision later considering the results of the ongoing operational improvement research for Incheon Veterans Hospital, the status of specialist recruitment, patient demand, and other internal and external factors.

Meanwhile, due to the suspension of the emergency room, a total of 19 existing staff members (11 nurses, 1 specialist, 4 health workers, and 3 technical staff) were advised to resign, transferred, or placed on leave, and contract workers will have their contracts terminated upon expiration.

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