Ambulances are parked outside a water purification plant in Daegu on March 1, 2020, with emergency workers checking their vehicles. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Local authorities across the country are pushing to help the city of Daegu as it struggles to acquire enough hospital beds for coronavirus patients.
“We will accept patients from Daegu with mild coronavirus infections to be treated at the Bitgoeul Hospital and Chonnam Gwangju Second Geriatric Hospital both operated by Chonnam National University,” said Lee Yong-seop, the mayor of Gwangju, in a press conference last Sunday.
“Out of 105 beds in the two hospitals, half will be used for local coronavirus patients, and the other half for patients from Daegu.”
Currently, two coronavirus patients from North Gyeongsang Province, both of who are in serious condition, are being treated at Chonnam National University Hospital and Chosun University Hospital.
“Gwangju wasn’t left behind in May 1980 (pro-democracy movement), thanks to the support of so many people,” said the mayor. “Daegu and Gwangju stand together like brothers.”
Busan mayor Oh Keo-don also vowed to join the fight against the coronavirus by supporting Daegu with hospital beds.
Seoul mayor Park Won-soon promised to provide treatment for coronavirus patients in serious condition from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province at the Seoul Medical Center, while Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province, promised to accept all coronavirus patients who are in serious condition.
Coronavirus patients from Daegu who have mild symptoms are currently being treated at Sangju Red Cross Hospital (192 beds) and Yeongju Red Cross Hospital (99 beds) in North Gyeongsang Province, Masan National Tuberculosis Hospital (104 beds) in South Gyeongsang Province, and Daejeon Army Hospital in the city of Daejeon.
Patients in serious condition are being treated at the Korean Armed Forces Capital Hospital and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in Seongnam, Gachon University Gil Hospital, and Chungbuk National University Hospital.
“On behalf of the 2.5 million citizens of Daegu, I would like to thank regional authorities for accepting our patients,” said Kwon Yeong-jin, mayor of Daegu.
Daegu and the Central Disease Control Headquarters reported that there are around 1,600 coronavirus patients in Daegu currently at home awaiting hospitalization.
“Using gymnasiums and exhibition halls to temporarily accommodate and treat mild patients, just like they did in Wuhan, China, and deploying medical staff to public facilities to treat patients can also be one of the possible solutions,” said professor Kim Woo-ju from Korea University Guro Hospital.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
