Gyeonggi Province creates a network of 32 large hospitals and 6 Gyeonggi Medical Centers for MERS treatment

Patients can consult with doctors at designated hospitals, and monitored people will be quarantined at Suwon Hospital

◇ May 9, Governor Nam Kyung-pil and directors for hospitals in Gyeonggi Province pledge to beat MERS and pose for a photo at the launching ceremony for the Gyeonggi Province MERS Treatment Private-Public Network. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Je-hoon

From now on, if you suspect you may be showing MERS symptoms, you can consult with a doctor at one of the 32 major hospitals in Gyeonggi Province. Patients monitored for potential MERS infections as well as confirmed MERS patients will receive exclusive treatment at the Gyeonggi Medical Center Suwon Hospital. 

On the morning of May 9, a launching ceremony took place for the Gyeonggi Province MERS Treatment Private-Public Network at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex. The ceremony was attended by the directors of major hospitals in Gyeonggi Province who seek to prevent MERS from spreading within the province. Gyeonggi Province is the first autonomy in Korea to successfully create a joint-response model consisting of local municipal governments and multiple major private hospitals in order to fight MERS. 

As such, 32 major hospitals within Gyeonggi Province will participate in the Gyeonggi Province MERS Treatment Private-Public Network. Furthermore, the six hospitals subsidiary to the Gyeonggi Medical Center agreed to cooperate in this network. 

According to Gyeonggi Province, the 32 major hospitals as well as Uijeongbu Hospital, Anseong Hospital, Paju Hospital, Pocheon Hospital, and Icheon Hospital with the Gyeonggi Medical Center will be designated and operated as ‘outpatient-based MERS local hospitals’. 

Members of the general public with symptoms indicative of MERS including a high fever and pneumonia can visit their nearest hospital and consult with a doctor. 

Upon reaching the hospital, potential patients consult with a doctor inside a quarantined consultation office installed separately from the hospital. Upon examination, their symptoms are analyzed for correlation to MERS. If their symptoms are unrelated to MERS, these patients will be treated as general patients.

Those classified as a potential patient to be monitored within 8 hours of testing for MERS will be transferred to the Gyeonggi Medical Center Suwon Hospital for examinations to confirm the diagnosis. If confirmed, these patients will be admitted and receive treatment in a dedicated hospital wing for MERS patients at the Gyeonggi Province MERS Intensive Treatment Center. If test results are negative or if test subjects do not show any symptoms, they will be released and placed under self-quarantine. 

As such, patients monitored for potential MERS infections who were being transferred between medical institutes can be diagnosed and receive treatment.

Hospitals participating in the network will provide competent medical personnel and cutting-edge equipment from their respective infectious diseases departments in order to operate the center efficiently. 

◇ ‘Consultation process for the MERS treatment private-public network’. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province has agreed to establish the Gyeonggi Province MERS Countermeasure Private-Public Joint Medical Committee which will function as a command center for MERS treatment. The committee will be led by Social Integration Vice Governor Lee Ki-woo and Gyeongi Province Hospital Association Chairman Ham Woong as joint chiefs. Presidents of major hospitals, chairs of local doctor associations, and chairs of local nurse associations will also participate in the committee.

At the launching ceremony for the private-public network, Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil, Gyeonggi Province Hospital Association Chairman Ham Wonng, and more than 30 participating hospital presidents including Myongji Hospital Chairman Lee Wang-joon (Chairman of the MERS Countermeasure Committee at the Gyeonggi Province Hospital Association) signed the agreement that launched the private-public network. 

Governor Nam Kyung-pil said, “At a time when we desperately need cooperation with experts in order to prevent the spread of MERS, we were able to establish the private-public joint countermeasure network model thanks to active cooperation from major hospitals in Gyeonggi Province.” Governor Nam also said, “I hope Gyeonggi Province’s private-public joint countermeasure model can be extended to the central government and other local municipal governments with confirmed patients, and end the MERS epidemic as soon as possible.”

Nam offered assurances that “MERS will not spread further,” saying “The public should remain calm and receive consultation safely and swiftly at hospitals participating in the private-public Network if showing signs of suspected symptoms.”

The private-public network was established swiftly thanks to the provincial government and major hospitals in Gyeonggi Province agreeing that private medical institutes must participate to prevent MERS from spreading further into the community. 

At 4:00pm on May 7, Governor Nam hosted a response meeting with presidents from 13 major hospitals including Gyeonggi Province Hospital Association Chairman Ham Woong in the situation room at the provincial government complex. 

After a marathon meeting session that lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes, major hospitals agreed to function as ‘outpatient-based local hospitals’, and the Hospital Association also agreed to dispatch experts in infectious diseases to the Countermeasure Center and improve its capacity to respond to MERS. 

Additionally, at 1:00pm on May 8, as a follow-up measure, the Social Integration Vice Governor hosted a working-level meeting with major hospitals in Gyeonggi Province and achieved the specific outcome of establishing the Gyeonggi Province MERS Treatment Private-Public Network.

An official with the Gyeonggi Provincial Government said, “Governor Nam Kyung-pil understands precisely what needs to be done proactively by Gyeonggi Province to prevent MERS from spreading.” The official explained, “In particular, the fact that he requested cooperation between the government, medical sector, and politicians at all levels combined with active communication with city and county governments on the front line as well as quick decision-making was effective.”

Medical institutes participating in the Gyeonggi Province MERS Treatment Private-Public Network Agreement

 ◇ Medical institutes participating in Gyeonggi Province MERS Treatment Private-Public Network Agreement 1 ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

◇ Medical institutes participating in Gyeonggi Province MERS Treatment Private-Public Network Agreement 2 ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Roh Kyeong-hee khrohh@kg21.net 

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201506091517447055C048&s_code=C048