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Even as a powerful typhoon called Omicron is just around the corner, as you have heard, the government is back and forth over the timing of when to change the medical system. When Omicron spreads, local hospitals will have to take care of some corona patients, because the detailed guidelines have not yet been finalized. In the medical field, there are voices that it is difficult in reality.



Reporter Han Seong-hee covered this content.



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Omicron's medical response system is that local hospitals share the burden of managing the rapidly increasing number of patients.



First, the rapid antigen test is used to determine whether or not the corona virus is confirmed.



However, there are no definitive guidelines yet, and it is difficult to know how to separate suspected patients from general patients.



[Cho Eun-joo/Chairman of Family Medicine: There is no such separate space where patients can be examined. I have to take off all the masks and wear protective clothing again to get tested, but I have to see not only this patient but also other patients.]



Non-face-to-face treatment for home therapists is also the responsibility of the local hospital.



Many hospitals are reluctant to participate in the condition that medical staff must be present at the hospital 24 hours a day.



[Sohn Yong-gyu/Pediatrician: The (hospital is rented) building itself is not allowed. In our building, around 10 pm, all the lights are turned off and all buildings are evacuated, and there are quite a few cases where the air conditioning does not work... .]



They call 2 or 3 times a day to take care of the patient's condition, but if there is an emergency, call 911 and notify the public health center so that a bed can be assigned.



In the medical field, it is argued that it does not fit reality.



[Park Myung-ha / Mayor of Seoul City Council: (Normal) It is said that about 1% of patients make emergency calls.

They told me to receive an emergency call that could come once in ten days, waiting in a medical institution...

.]



Starting with Guro-gu, Seoul started a pilot operation of corona treatment at a local hospital in 40 hospitals in 5 districts.



The Seoul Medical Association has proposed a plan to set up a home treatment support center and take charge of late-night work, but the situation has yet to be filled with volunteer work.



Reflecting these opinions on the field, the government will announce a specific plan for Omicron's medical response only tomorrow (21st).



(Video coverage: Kim Won-bae, Seol Min-hwan, video editing: Yu Mira, CG: Lim Chan-hyuk)



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