The government announced on the 16th that it will invest 2 trillion won in comprehensive secondary hospitals over three years to prevent patient concentration in university hospitals and revive local healthcare.
Comprehensive secondary hospitals refer to institutions that treat most conditions except for severe and rare diseases managed by tertiary hospitals in the region, and the government plans to select them nationwide.
On this day, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the President's Medical Reform Special Committee held a public hearing on the 'comprehensive secondary hospital support project' in Jung-gu, Seoul, and revealed this information. This aims to enhance the medical capabilities of regional secondary hospitals, which play a crucial role in the domestic healthcare system classified into first to third tiers.
Primary healthcare is handled by local clinics and health centers caring for mild patients. Secondary hospitals (with more than 30 beds) and general hospitals (with more than 100 beds) take care of patients who require hospitalization. Tertiary hospitals specialize in treating severe patients.
Through the 'conversion project for advanced general hospitals,' the government allows these hospitals to focus on severe, emergency, and rare diseases while advancing the secondary hospital support project to enable secondary hospitals to concentrate on intermediate patients (those between severe and mild) and essential functions like 24-hour care.
According to the announcement made by the Ministry of Welfare during the public hearing, the government plans to invest 2 trillion won over three years to increase the fees for intensive care units (the funds allocated to hospitals by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service). The daily fee for intensive care units will be linked to the results of the adequacy evaluation per institution. Grades 1 and 2 will receive 150,000 won, grade 3 will receive 90,000 won, and grade 4 will receive 30,000 won.
The government also decided to provide more compensation for emergency surgeries. If a patient receives emergency surgery within 24 hours of visiting the emergency room, the fee will be increased by 150% based on regional emergency medical centers. For regional, specialty, and trauma centers, the increase will be 50%. To ensure 24-hour care at comprehensive secondary hospitals, 200 billion won will be provided annually for medical staff duty and standby expenses.
The government will select targets for the comprehensive secondary hospital support project starting next month. Once designated as a comprehensive secondary hospital, facilities must implement four innovations (appropriate care, strengthening treatment effectiveness, solving local healthcare issues, and medical cooperation). The government plans to evaluate the comprehensive secondary hospitals annually. Considering regional conditions, if there are no advanced general hospitals and local comprehensive secondary hospitals, preliminary designations will also be planned.
Deputy Minister of Welfare Park Min-soo said, 'We will nurture secondary hospitals that local residents can trust and utilize.' Chairperson Noh Yeon-hong stated, 'We will push forward the comprehensive secondary hospital support project, reflecting various opinions.'
Even if they are not comprehensive secondary hospitals, the Medical Reform Special Committee plans to propose a compensation system commensurate with providing essential functions such as 24-hour care on holidays and nights next month.