Chilgok County, 10 Days After Emergency Room Closure... "No Medical Gap"

30 Patients Treated at Gisan-myeon Health Center

County Health Center to Operate as 24-Hour On-Call Medical Institution

Ten days have passed since the emergency room at Waegwan Hospital in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, ceased operations, and the county's alternative medical response system is running stably.

Kim Jaewook, Chilgok County Governor (right), visits the Gisan-myeon Health Center to inspect the operation status of the '24-Hour Open Health Clinic' and listens to explanations from the medical staff. [Photo by Chilgok County]

According to Chilgok County, from the 1st to the 10th of this month, 30 patients visited the Gisan-myeon Health Center, which has been converted into a '24-Hour Open Health Clinic.'

Of these, 27 patients received consultations, treatment, or prescriptions on-site and then returned home. One patient was transferred to a medical institution via the emergency services (119), while two others were referred to higher-level hospitals for further care.

Most of the patients presented with mild symptoms that could be treated on-site, such as heartburn, nausea, bee stings, insect bites, and lacerations.

Notably, more than half of the patients were residents of Waegwan-eup, indicating that the Gisan-myeon Health Center has absorbed a significant portion of nighttime and holiday medical demand following the emergency room's closure.

Chilgok County has established a dual-track response system: severe cases are rapidly transferred to higher-level emergency medical institutions in Daegu, Gumi, and other areas via emergency services (119), while patients with mild symptoms are treated locally.

In addition, at the Waegwan-eup Chilgok County Health Center, one contract doctor will be added to the existing two public health doctors, enabling three doctors to provide round-the-clock shift coverage as a 24-hour on-call medical institution.

The 119-linked transfer system and 24/7 late-night pharmacy services will also be maintained year-round.

Seo Hyunok, Director of the Chilgok County Health Center, stated, "Over the past 10 days, the Gisan-myeon Health Center has stably met nighttime and holiday medical needs," adding, "By introducing an additional 24-hour on-call medical institution, we will further enhance the county's medical response system."

Despite the closure of the emergency room posing a significant challenge, Chilgok County was quick to separate mild treatment from the transfer of severe cases. Now, the key issue will be ensuring the sustainability of the 24-hour care system.

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