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Busan Metropolitan City to Operate a “Seamless Emergency Medical System” During Chuseok Holiday

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will implement the “Chuseok Holiday Emergency Medical Service Plan” from October 3 to October 9 to minimize inconvenience for citizens and respond promptly to emergencies.

This plan includes careful measures to ensure that medically vulnerable populations requiring continuous treatment do not face difficulties. The measures consist of:

• ●Operation of hospitals and pharmacies open during the holidays,

• ●24-hour operation of emergency medical institutions,

• ●Selective outpatient services at public health centers and public/private medical institutions,

• ●Establishment of 24-hour emergency and high-risk obstetric care systems.

During the holiday period, the city will operate an “Emergency Medical Situation Room” at both the city and district/county levels to monitor medical situations and manage the operation status of emergency medical institutions, open hospitals, and pharmacies.

A total budget of 1.666 billion won has been allocated to secure 133 hospitals and clinics in essential departments such as internal medicine and pediatrics, as well as 657 pharmacies that will remain open on the day before (October 5) and on the day of Chuseok (October 6). Busan Metropolitan City will provide operating subsidies to hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies offering outpatient care and prescription services on these dates.

Additionally, 38 emergency medical institutions, including regional emergency centers such as Dong-A University Hospital and Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital, will operate 24 hours a day as usual.

To ensure smooth treatment for critically ill patients, 29 emergency medical institutions will appoint designated managers responsible for monitoring daily operations.

Public health centers, as public medical institutions, will also participate in providing medical care during the holiday. In addition to running emergency rooms 24 hours a day, 38 major general hospitals, including Busan Medical Center, will provide selective outpatient services. However, public health centers will not be able to issue documents such as test results or medical certificates; they will only provide consultations and prescriptions.

To prevent treatment gaps for pediatric patients during the extended holiday, two designated “Moonlight Children’s Hospitals” — 99 Seoul Pediatric Clinic (Dongnae-gu) and Geumjeong Pediatric Clinic (Geumjeong-gu) — will remain open even on Chuseok day (October 6).

To safeguard high-risk mothers and newborns, two regional maternal and child health centers (Inje University Busan Paik Hospital and Haeundae Paik Hospital) will work in conjunction with local obstetric institutions to provide intensive treatment and maintain a 24-hour emergency response system.

Furthermore, in preparation for potential mass casualty incidents during disaster situations, the Rapid Response Teams of 16 public health centers and the Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) of three designated disaster base hospitals (Dong-A University Hospital, Pusan National University Hospital, and Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital) will maintain close communication systems to ensure swift response. If a mass casualty event occurs, they will be immediately dispatched to the scene to provide emergency medical services and support the rapid transport and treatment of critically ill patients.

Information on the status of open hospitals and pharmacies can be obtained through the Ministry of Health and Welfare Call Center (☎129), the 119 General Situation Room (☎119), and district/county public health center emergency medical situation rooms. The information will also be available on the city’s official website (www.busan.go.kr), the “Emergency Medical Portal (E-GEN)” (www.e-gen.or.kr), and the “Emergency-ddokddok” smartphone app.

As operating hours may vary depending on the circumstances of each medical institution, citizens are advised to confirm by phone before visiting.

Cho Gyuyul, Director General of the Citizens’ Health Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated:
“This year’s Chuseok holiday emergency medical system has been prepared with extensive cooperation between the city, private, and public medical institutions to minimize inconvenience for citizens. Since emergency rooms prioritize the treatment of critically ill patients, we strongly urge citizens with minor illnesses to actively utilize the open hospitals, pharmacies, and public health centers during the holiday.”