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Mayor Park Heong-joon Calls for Minimizing Medical Service Gaps as Busan Metropolitan City Establishes a Seamless Emergency Care System for the Lunar New Year Holiday

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will implement the “Emergency Medical Care Measures for the Lunar New Year Holiday” from February 14 to 18 to prepare for emergency patient cases during the extended holiday period and to minimize inconvenience for residents in accessing medical institutions and pharmacies due to holiday-related service gaps.

These measures include the operation of an Emergency Medical Situation Room to inspect the emergency medical care system and provide information on designated emergency medical institutions, operation of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies open during the holiday, provision of medical services at public health centers, and establishment of a 24-hour emergency and high-risk delivery care system.

During the holiday period, the city will operate emergency medical situation rooms at the city, district, and county levels to continuously monitor medical situations and manage the operational status of emergency medical institutions, hospitals and clinics open during the holiday, and pharmacies.

A total of 38 emergency medical institutions and facilities, including Dong-A University Hospital and Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital, which serve as regional emergency medical centers, will operate 24 hours a day as usual.

A total of 5,517 hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies (3,022 hospitals and clinics and 2,495 pharmacies) will be open during the holiday period, with an average of 1,103 facilities operating per day (604 hospitals and clinics and 499 pharmacies).

On Lunar New Year’s Day, February 17, 54 hospitals and clinics providing essential medical services, such as internal medicine and pediatrics, along with 281 pharmacies, will be open. As with last year’s Chuseok holiday, Busan Metropolitan City will provide operational support funds to hospitals and clinics offering outpatient services and pharmacies dispensing prescriptions on the holiday itself.

In addition, public health centers, which are public medical institutions, and four city-designated Moonlight Children’s Hospitals will participate in providing medical services on Lunar New Year’s Day. To address potential gaps in pediatric care during the holiday, four Moonlight Children’s Hospitals—99 Seoul Pediatrics Clinic (Dongnae-gu), Geumjeong Pediatrics Clinic (Geumjeong-gu), I Sarang Hospital (Yeonje-gu), and Jeonggwan Woori Children’s Hospital (Gijang-gun)—will operate as usual on that day. At public health centers, issuance of certificates and diagnostic documents will not be available, and only medical consultations and prescriptions will be provided.

To protect high-risk pregnant women and newborns, the city will maintain an intensive care and 24-hour emergency response system through coordination between two regional maternal and child medical centers—Inje University Busan Paik Hospital and Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital—and obstetric medical institutions within the city.

Furthermore, to prepare for potential mass casualty incidents in disaster situations, Disaster Medical Assistance Teams composed of rapid response units from 16 district and county public health centers and three designated disaster base hospitals will maintain a close communication system to ensure swift response. In the event of large-scale casualties, these teams will be immediately dispatched to the scene to support disaster emergency medical care, including patient triage, emergency treatment, and patient transport.

Information on hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies open during the holiday can be obtained through the Ministry of Health and Welfare Call Center (129), the 119 Integrated Situation Room (119), and emergency medical situation rooms at district and county public health centers. Information is also available on the official Busan Metropolitan City website (www.busan.go.kr), the Emergency Medical Portal (E-GEN) (www.e-gen.or.kr), and the mobile application “Emergency TtokTtok.” As operating hours may vary depending on the circumstances of each medical institution, residents are advised to confirm by phone before visiting.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “We will operate the emergency medical care system thoroughly to ensure that no medical service gaps occur during the Lunar New Year holiday,” adding, “I encourage all citizens to use nearby hospitals and clinics for minor symptoms and to practice appropriate use of medical services so that everyone can enjoy a safe and healthy holiday.”