No More Aimless Search for Acute Drug Intoxication Treatment... Busan's Emergency Transfer System Now Established

Three Months of Two-Track Sequential Treatment System

325 Patients Supported

There is no longer any need to search aimlessly in Busan when acute drug intoxication treatment is required.

On April 17, the Busan Metropolitan Government announced that its "Two-Track Sequential Treatment System (TTTS) for Acute Drug Intoxication," which was introduced this year, has become well established in the field just three months after implementation.

This system classifies acute drug intoxication patients into severe and mild cases, and transports each group sequentially to the most appropriate medical institution. The system involves the Busan Metropolitan Government, the Busan Emergency Medical Support Team, the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, and 11 emergency medical institutions.

During the 79 days from January 12 to March 31, a total of 325 patients were transported to hospitals and received treatment through this system. This included 172 severe cases and 153 mild cases, with an average of 4.1 cases handled per day.

Previously, delays in hospital admissions and transportation frequently occurred, but with the new system’s distribution of severe and mild cases and the sequential assignment method, emergency room congestion and wait times have been reduced.

Mild cases are first treated at designated mild case facilities and, if necessary, transferred to severe case institutions. Severe cases are sent to the appropriate hospital from the outset. After treatment, patients are connected with the Mental Health Welfare Center for follow-up care.

The Busan Metropolitan Government plans to expand the budget through the first supplementary budget and is also considering transitioning this initiative to a nationally funded project in the future.

Cho Gyuyul, Director of the Citizens’ Health Bureau, said, "Since the effectiveness of the system has been confirmed in the field, we will continue to improve the emergency medical system based on data."

Busan Medical Center.

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