◀ anchor ▶
These days, even if you are infected with the corona virus, unless you are a high-risk patient, you can check the symptoms on your own and contact the hospital for home treatment.
However, it is said that inquiries are concentrated only in some large hospitals that receive calls 24 hours a day.
In particular, this phenomenon is getting worse on weekends when the local hospital is closed.
Reporter Park Yoon-soo visited the site.
◀ Report ▶
A municipal hospital that provides home patient counseling in 14 autonomous districts in the Gangbuk area of Seoul.
Inquiries about prescription drugs pour in from early morning on weekends.
[재택 치료 전담 간호사]
“We have received over 200 (medical prescriptions) from our hospital alone. (Delivery) may take more than two or three days.”
It has been three days since the home treatment system was changed, so that if you are not in the high-risk group, you need to check your symptoms and contact the hospital.
At this hospital, following 113 cases the day before and 274 cases yesterday, 194 cases of medicine were prescribed until 5 pm today, and the hospital explained that the actual call volume is three times higher if you add simple consultations.
There are only two 24-hour counseling centers in Seoul, including this one, and local hospitals and clinics close early or take a break on weekends, which makes it even busier.
[이민화/서울동부병원 수간호사]
“We’re also in the early stages, so there’s a lot of trial and error. So right now, the employees are very nervous. After that, the workers are more supplemented…
On the other hand, there are about 1,300 hospitals and clinics in Seoul where phone consultations are possible, but inquiries are rare.
[서울 마포구 의원]
“There are inquiries, but not many, about one a day? It will increase in the future.”
[서울 구로구 의원]
“I’ve never had a corona patient call for advice. I don’t know if it will become a bit more active from next week…”
The number of home-treated patients increased by more than 20,000 in one day, to nearly 200,000.
[엄중식/가천대 길병원 감염내과 교수]
“If (confirmed) goes up to 100,000 or 200,000, more than 1 million quarantined people exist at a certain point in time. Then, an incomparable amount of phone consultations will be required.”
Experts advise that while increasing the number of counseling centers, public relations should be strengthened so that hospitals and clinics share the counseling work as much as possible.
This is Park Yoon-soo from MBC News.
Video coverage: Kim Baek-seung / Video editing: Min Kyung-tae
MBC News awaits your report 24 hours a day.
▷ Tel 02-784-4000
▷ Email mbcjebo@mbc.co.kr
▷ KakaoTalk @mbc report
