The South Korean government has launched a pilot project aimed at improving the transfer system for severe emergency patients to ensure they reach hospitals more efficiently, but critics argue that it is only a temporary fix without addressing underlying issues.
The South Korean government has introduced a new initiative to tackle the 'emergency room bouncing' issue by setting up a centralized dispatch system at the National Medical Center. This system will guide emergency personnel in quickly identifying hospitals best equipped to treat severe patients, reducing the time wasted often spent by ambulances searching for available facilities. The pilot project is set to launch in Gwangju and Jeolla provinces for three months, with plans to analyze its results for potential nationwide implementation later in the year.
This initiative aims primarily at enhancing the transfer of critically ill patients categorized under severe conditions by a new severity classification system. When 119 emergency medical teams encounter a severe case, they will now refer to the centralized emergency medical situation room to connect with the appropriate hospital based on patient conditions and hospital capacities. This change intends to alleviate distressing situations where ambulance crews were forced to make numerous calls to find a hospital capable of providing care, potentially worsening patient conditions during prolonged searches.
Despite these advancements, experts caution that the reforms represent only a stopgap solution and do not address deeper structural deficiencies within the emergency healthcare system, such as strengthening subsequent care services post-emergency. The government acknowledges the immediate need for efficiency in hospital transfers but must also consider long-term strategies to improve overall care and resources available to emergency departments to fully resolve ongoing challenges in emergency healthcare access.
