During the Lunar New Year holiday from the 14th to the 18th, 416 emergency medical institutions nationwide will be open 24 hours as usual. The government urged, "For mild symptoms, visit local clinics first, and for suspected severe symptoms, call 119 immediately."
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 12th issued guidance on using medical institutions during the Lunar New Year holiday and released tips to prevent emergency room crowding. During the holiday, an average of about 9,600 clinics and hospitals and about 6,900 pharmacies will be open each day. Combined, an average of about 16,500 medical institutions and pharmacies will operate daily.
The ministry said that if you feel unwell, it is advisable to first visit a nearby local clinic or hospital for care. If a severe condition is suspected after an exam, patients can be transferred quickly to a higher-level hospital.
If symptoms are severe, call 119 without delay. Representative cases include shortness of breath, sudden numbness in the arms or legs, and slurred speech due to tongue paralysis. By explaining symptoms through 119 counseling, patients are transported directly to an appropriate emergency medical institution based on severity.
The government also recommended using the "Eunggeup Ddokddok" app to help decide whether to visit the emergency room. After entering symptoms, it guides whether an ER visit is needed and provides information on open local clinics and hospitals, emergency rooms, and Moonlight Children's Hospitals based on the user's location.
Systems for handling special and critical patients will also remain in place. The 17 regional trauma centers will run emergency services for special trauma such as finger amputation, and the maternal and neonatal transfer support team for mothers and newborns will be deployed. Regional and local cardiovascular and cerebrovascular centers will maintain 24-hour care. The 134 Moonlight Children's Hospitals and 12 pediatric emergency medical centers will also operate normally.
The ministry and the National Emergency Medical Center will run a 24-hour situation room during the holiday. The 119 ambulance service and the metropolitan emergency medical situation rooms will coordinate to select hospitals for transferring critical patients, and the dispatch systems for doctor helicopters and dedicated critical-care ambulances will remain in place.
Lee Jung-gyu, director of public health policy, said, "So emergency room staff can focus on treating critical patients, please use local clinics and hospitals first for symptoms that are not severe."