The Ministry of Health and Welfare additionally designated The Catholic University of Korea St. Vincent's Hospital and The Catholic Univ. of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital as pediatric specialized emergency medical centers to expand pediatric emergency care infrastructure. With this, the number of pediatric specialized emergency medical centers nationwide increased from 12 to 14.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on the 14th that the two hospitals met all criteria for essential personnel, facilities, and equipment and were finally designated as pediatric specialized emergency medical centers. The two institutions were preliminarily selected through a call for applications in Nov. last year, and after facility work and equipment upgrades, they passed on-site inspections on the 6th–7th.
A pediatric specialized emergency medical center is a facility that provides 24-hour specialized care for pediatric emergency patients with severe to moderate severity (KTAS levels 1–3). Pediatric patients experience rapid changes in symptoms, and required equipment and treatment methods vary by age, leading to continued calls for a separate system distinct from adult emergency rooms.
As of last year, about 720,000 pediatric emergency patients aged 18 or younger visited regional and local emergency medical centers, accounting for 17% of all emergency room patients.
The government has supported the pediatric emergency care system since 2016 and has gradually expanded specialized centers. Pediatric specialized emergency medical centers increased from five in 2020 to eight in 2022 and 12 in 2024, and with this designation, the number has reached 14.
The designation criteria are also stricter than for general emergency rooms. Four or more full-time specialists must be on site 24 hours a day, and 10 or more dedicated nurses as well as separate information management and security staff must be secured. In terms of facilities, there must be two or more beds in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), six or more beds in dedicated inpatient rooms, and negative-pressure and isolation beds.
To operate pediatric emergency medical centers, the government supports operating costs of about 100 million won per full-time specialist per year. Up to 1 billion won per institution is provided from the national budget. National health insurance reimbursement is also increased by 15%–30% compared with regional emergency medical centers.
The newly designated St. Vincent's Hospital is expected to strengthen care for pediatric emergency patients in the southern Gyeonggi region. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, as a tertiary general hospital, will take on final treatment functions such as PICU admissions and emergency surgeries and procedures.
As of the end of last year, among pediatric specialized emergency medical centers nationwide, Asan Medical Center had the highest average daily patient count (74.2), followed by Inha Univ. Hospital (61.3) and Ajou Univ. Hospital (54).