Gyeonggi Province Urges Medical Personnel Support Amid Hospital Bed and Workforce Shortages

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] Gyeonggi Province is facing difficulties in securing hospital beds and on-site medical personnel due to the recent surge in COVID-19 confirmed cases, and has urged medical professionals to support the effort.

Lim Seung-gwan, head of Gyeonggi Province's COVID-19 Emergency Response Division, held a regular press conference on the 17th and stated, "Maximizing the resources and personnel that Gyeonggi Province possesses to secure beds and cooperating with private hospitals to ensure that medical staff can provide care as soon as possible is the best approach for patients," and disclosed this.

As of midnight on the 17th, 454 people remained unassigned to beds, including 155 awaiting community treatment centers and 299 awaiting hospital admission, with a significant portion being moderate-case patients who should be assigned to hospital beds.

In particular, as confirmed cases continue to emerge in nursing homes and other facilities, delayed bed assignments have resulted in some facilities being unable to provide basic care such as meals and medication to patients staying within the facility.

Head Lim emphasized, "What patients with confirmed cases actually need is treatment through hospital beds and medical personnel," and stated, "Gyeonggi Province is currently recruiting medical personnel to work alongside us in these frontline settings, so we ask that medical professionals interested in providing support contact Gyeonggi Province."

Medical professionals wishing to provide support can apply by calling Gyeonggi Province's call center at 031-120.

As of midnight on the 17th, the number of confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province increased by 291 from the previous day, totaling 10,872, with confirmed cases occurring in 30 cities and counties across the province. Infection sources include 7 cases related to a high school in Suwon and 8 cases related to a senior nursing facility in Siheung. Among new confirmed cases, 88 people aged 60 and over account for 30.2%, and 82 confirmed cases (28.1%) have unknown infection sources.

As of midnight on the 17th, Gyeonggi Province has secured 719 confirmed case treatment beds across 10 hospitals for general patient care, with 605 beds (84.1%) currently in use. For severe patient treatment beds, 45 out of 49 secured beds in the province are in use.

At six community treatment centers in Gyeonggi Province (No. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9), 1,177 people were admitted as of 6 p.m. on the 16th, showing an 85.6% occupancy rate, with 197 remaining available capacity. The 10th community treatment center at Kyonggi University dormitory began admitting approximately 120 people as of the afternoon of the 17th, with bed assignments proceeding in stages.

As of 10 p.m. on the 16th, 414 people in Gyeonggi Province's home care system monitoring were distributed across 28 cities and counties, with 22 transferred to medical institutions and 66 transferred to community treatment centers.

As of midnight on the 17th, 59 temporary screening stations have been established in Gyeonggi Province, with 6,969 tests conducted, of which 11 received confirmed diagnoses.