Emergency Bed Securing... Prime Minister Kim to Hold Urgent Meeting with Metropolitan Area Tertiary Hospital Directors Tomorrow

by Son Seonhee

Published 18 Nov.2021 10:32(KST)

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is scheduled to meet with hospital directors in the Seoul metropolitan area on the 19th to discuss the operation plan for beds for severe COVID-19 patients. Concerns have arisen that the medical system may become overloaded as the number of new confirmed cases and severe patients has surged following the implementation of the first phase of gradual daily recovery.

According to the Office for Government Policy Coordination on the 18th, Prime Minister Kim will hold an emergency meeting at 8 a.m. on the 19th at the Government Complex Seoul with directors of 22 tertiary general hospitals in the metropolitan area. This is the first time the Prime Minister has met with metropolitan area tertiary general hospital directors in one place regarding the COVID-19 situation.

Prime Minister Kim plans to urge the hospital directors to promptly comply with two administrative orders issued for securing additional beds.

Also, since it has been identified that the current number of severe patients does not match the number of ICU beds in use, it is expected that the bed operation status will be shared and flexible operation will be requested.

Earlier, at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 the previous day, Prime Minister Kim requested, "Please continuously monitor and supplement to ensure that beds are allocated according to the patient's condition and that transfer measures following improvement of condition can be promptly carried out."