<Anchor>



There are regional trauma centers that are open 24 hours all over the country so that severely injured patients can be treated quickly.

However, as the number of emergency medical personnel is decreasing in rural areas, there are cases where even if you go to a regional trauma center, you may not be able to receive treatment in a timely manner.



Reporter Byun Han-young of JTV and reporter Jeong-min Lee of JTV will tell you about the essential medical conditions in rural areas that are in crisis.



<JTV Reporter Byun Han-young>



Last June, a young man in his 30s was riding a motorcycle in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, and collided with an oncoming vehicle.



Both legs and back were broken, and internal organs were also injured.



The ambulance arrived and headed to the Jeonbuk Regional Trauma Center at Wonkwang University Hospital in Boryeong.



However, during the transfer, the Wonkwang University Regional Trauma Center informed that it could not be treated, and the ambulance turned the car away.



[Fire station official: ‘It is difficult to treat, it is impossible’ I was notified right after the Geumgang River (I was notified.)] Reluctantly, I



arrived at a hospital in Jeonju, but treatment was difficult there too.



I contacted Jesus Hospital and Chonbuk National University Hospital by phone, but were informed that treatment was difficult.



Arriving in Cheonan at 2:13 PM, we arrived at the hospital where we could receive treatment 3 hours and 16 minutes after the accident.



A patient quarreling for every minute and second moved from Boryeong to Jeonju and back to Cheonan and did not receive treatment for over 3 hours.



The man arrived at the Trauma Center at Dankook University Hospital, but the situation was tense, including cardiac arrest.



He survived the surgery, but had to amputate his left leg.



[Patient's family: 'The blood vessels were clogged with a little time delay', 'It is hardened and the blood does not circulate, so it has to be amputated'.

He talked like this.

When a major accident occurs, isn't it the first thing you go to the trauma center?]



(Video coverage: Jae-kyun Jae, JTV, CG: JTV, PR-sun)



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<JTV Reporter Jeong-min Lee>



At the time of the accident, a man in his 30s severely injured his left leg and had a blood vessel splicing operation. I needed this.



However, there were no vascular surgeons at Wonkwang University's Jeonbuk Regional Trauma Center and Wonkwang University Hospital.



In 2020, a medical vacancy has continued since a specialist at Wonkwang University Hospital resigned.



[Wonkwang University Hospital Jeonbuk Trauma Center officials: (specialists) There are not many, it is related to the joint in Korea…

We don't have to ask the trauma center to pick up splicing.

You only need to recruit essential surgeons and orthopedic surgeons.]



According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s regional trauma center designation criteria, it includes at least one specialist in surgery, thoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, and neurosurgery, and including specialists who work in general hospitals at the same time. Physician personnel criteria are met with only one person.



Even with these standards, if you do not have a vascular surgeon like this one, you will not be able to play your role in an emergency situation.



[Wonkwang University Hospital Jeonbuk Regional Trauma Center Official: Because the manpower is not selected.

It's not easy to find a doctor here in the countryside these days.]



A regional trauma center that must be operated to treat severe trauma patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.



However, in an emergency situation, there was no doctor, so the patient wandered around the hospital for over 3 hours and had his leg amputated.