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From yesterday (10th), a new home treatment management system centered on high-risk groups was implemented.

However, as the government suddenly changed the high-risk classification criteria an hour before implementation, there was confusion in the field, and the whole process from non-face-to-face treatment over the phone to prescription and delivery was creaky.



Reporter Han Seong-hee covered the situation on the first day.



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This is a home treatment medical consultation center in Seoul that is open 24 hours a day.



12 phones ring nonstop.



[Kim Hye-hyang/Nurse: You said that you received the confirmation notice today, right?]



When a call comes in, the nurse identifies the symptoms, and



[Kim Hye-hyang/Nurse: What symptoms do you want to prescribe for now?

Do you have a cough, sore throat or sore throat?

Do you have phlegm?]



If necessary, a doctor working at the center will treat you over the phone and prescribe medication.



[Roh Geon-hyeop / Home Treatment Team Staff: We will send a prescription to the pharmacy, but the pharmacy is a bit far from your house.

It's in Bulgwang Station.

Is it possible to receive it?]



There are 170,000 home care providers, but there are only 145 such medical consultation centers nationwide.



Most of the patients made phone calls to local hospitals and clinics.



1,900 local hospitals and clinics, which the government disclosed on the website of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, were directly called by reporters and 41 reporters.



Of these, 10 did not answer the phone at all.



Of the remaining 31, 13 answered that non-face-to-face treatment was not yet possible.



[Member A: We haven't started yet, us.

(When does it start?) There is no exact date set yet.]



[Member B: I haven't received a proper notice yet.

Not just over the phone...

.]



Although we started non-face-to-face treatment, there were many complaints of difficulties.



[Seung-Hoon Yoo / Director of Otolaryngology: We have not been notified of the list of base pharmacies (to deliver drugs to patients).

I had to search the internet for a while.

One pharmacy refused.]



The method of charging the government for medical examinations after treating patients was also not properly communicated.



It seems that non-face-to-face treatment will become more difficult this weekend if many hospitals and clinics are closed.