Emergency medical specialists who work 24 hours a day at the National Emergency Management Center of the National Fire Agency are available to offer support when Koreans require help. (image: Jeonnam Fire Service)
SEOUL, Jul. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — The 119 Emergency Medical Counseling Service is available to Korean nationals who travel abroad.
Since its implementation, the service has helped people in emergency situations, an average of five Koreans per day.
The National Fire Agency (NFA) reported Wednesday that 1,758 people have used the service since it was launched in July last year.
The number of monthly inquiries also increased sharply from 154 in December of last year to 211 in June of this year.
Medical counseling accounted for 34.7 percent of the service use cases, followed by first aid and medicine dosage guidance.
Among the total number of calls for counseling, the largest number was maritime patients, including sailors and ship passengers.
The 119 Emergency Medical Counseling Service for Overseas Koreans is a service that provides medical consultation if one request counseling through the website of the 119 Safety Center (http://119.go.kr) when Koreans are in an emergency situation due to illness or injury overseas.
Emergency medical specialists who work 24 hours a day at the National Emergency Management Center of the NFA are available to offer support when Koreans require help.
The service primarily targeted sailors and cruise passengers when it was launched. It was first operated at the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Safety Headquarters since 2012. But NFA took over in July of last year.
Last November, the service was expanded to all overseas Koreans, including overseas travelers, regardless of the region.
The service has been holding 119 emergency medical consultations for overseas Koreans without separate funding, but the government plans to improve the quality of service by securing additional funding and hiring more workers in preparation for the increase in counseling.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
