The Seoul city government said on the 14th that it will launch a response consultative body to prevent the spread of infectious diseases that can occur at medical institutions such as hospitals and nursing hospitals.
The consultative body will consist of a total of 75 entities, including the Seoul city government, autonomous districts, 52 medical institutions, and 23 public health centers. The city plans to regularize the consultative body, in which hospital officials and public health center officials participate together, to strengthen management of "health care–associated infectious diseases." Health care–associated infectious diseases refer to infections that can be transmitted within hospitals during hospitalization or treatment.
In addition, the consultative body will establish and operate an emergency contact network (hotline) to quickly share information and respond when health care–associated infectious diseases occur.
Song Eun-cheol, head of the Seoul city Infectious Disease Control Division, said, "Based on the cooperative system, we will create a safe treatment environment where citizens can feel reassured from health care–associated infectious diseases."