Ganghwa County Launches Negative Pressure Ambulance Operations...Strengthens Infectious Disease Response Capacity

[Suwon Ilbo=Correspondent Seo Dong-young] Ganghwa County has acquired a negative pressure special ambulance to safely transport confirmed cases and symptomatic patients to screening clinics or nationally designated hospitals in response to infectious diseases such as COVID-19, and has begun operations as of the 15th.

The negative pressure special ambulance is equipped with a negative pressure system consisting of an air conditioning unit (machinery that maintains appropriate indoor temperature and humidity) and an exhaust system, designed to prevent infectious agents from escaping to the outside. The driver's cabin and the patient area are completely separated by a partition wall, preventing the possibility of secondary infections among medical staff and enabling safe patient transport.

Additionally, the ambulance is equipped with various equipment including special emergency treatment and rescue apparatus sets, patient monitoring equipment that can track patient status in real-time, and special negative pressure patient stretchers, enabling transport of emergency patients as well.

County Governor You Cheon-ho stated, "We acquired the negative pressure special ambulance to respond quickly to infectious diseases such as COVID-19," and added, "We will do our best to enhance infectious disease response capacity and strengthen the safe transport system for emergency patients."

Meanwhile, the county health center is conducting preemptive quarantine measures to prevent COVID-19, focusing disinfection activities on closed, congested facilities with high usage by residents such as taxis, shuttle buses, and multi-use facilities in the county, and is carrying out preemptive specimen testing for people entering from overseas.