Incheon City Operates 24-Hour Psychiatric Emergency Beds... Dedicated at 4 Locations Including Incheon Medical Center

Incheon Medical Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City announced on the 4th that it will operate '24-hour psychiatric emergency beds' starting in September to provide treatment and protection for psychiatric emergency patients who suddenly occur day and night.

Since the revision of the Enforcement Rules of the Mental Health Welfare Act in March this year, the number of beds in psychiatric medical institutions has been reduced, causing ongoing problems such as delays in treatment due to a shortage of psychiatric emergency beds.

In response, the city has been proactively operating six emergency psychiatric beds at Incheon Medical Center since April 2019.

Also, in response to the demand for mental health crisis response from citizens due to COVID-19, this year Incheon Chamsarang Hospital, Glory Hospital, and Samjeong Hospital were selected as psychiatric emergency bed operating institutions.

On the 2nd, the city signed a business agreement with these three hospitals to establish a rapid crisis response system that provides 24-hour counseling day and night, emergency dispatch, and treatment and protection of psychiatric emergency patients through crisis intervention.

The procedure for the 24-hour psychiatric emergency beds is that when a psychiatric crisis occurs at 112 police, 119 fire department, or the mental health crisis counseling hotline (1577-0199), the patient's condition is evaluated for crisis and referred to a psychiatric emergency bed operating institution, where the patient receives hospitalization and treatment through examination by an on-site psychiatrist.

Hospitalized patients receive emergency treatment and care, appropriate services according to the type of psychiatric hospitalization, and support such as linkage to community mental health services after discharge.

An official from Incheon City stated, "By securing psychiatric emergency beds available 24 hours a day, citizens at risk of self-harm or harm to others can be immediately admitted and treated without having to wander or visit multiple hospitals when protection from psychiatric medical institutions is needed."

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