Authorities worry non-critical cases burden emergency rooms

Paramedics transport a patient to the emergency room of a major hospital in Seoul. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

A woman in her 40s was rushed to an emergency room in Gyeonggi on Sept. 20 after experiencing an allergic reaction to eating crab.

An emergency room worker, however, said the woman's condition was not life-threatening as there was no swelling in her upper respiratory tract.

"She didn't need to come to the emergency room as she only suffered from a rash and itchiness," the official said.

The woman waited for an hour at the ER and received a diagnosis from the doctor, which took only five minutes. She was then given a prescription for medication and left the hospital.

On Sept. 19 a man in his 60s visited the emergency room at Jeonbuk National University Hospital due to a minor scratch on his forehead and nose.

The man, who usually commutes to work on his bicycle, crashed after a taxi unexpectedly appeared.

While he had suffered an injury from the fall, it was not severe enough to warrant an immediate visit to the emergency room.

After receiving minor treatment for his injury, the medical staff advised him to return home.

A hospital worker who wished to remain anonymous said many patients with minor injuries visit the emergency room unnecessarily.

The medical community has asked patients with minor injuries not to seek emergency room care, as this can lead to a shortage of beds for those in urgent need of medical attention.

Emergency teams may even have to search for hospitals with available space to accommodate patients.

A survey conducted by Embrain Public on behalf of the JoongAng Ilbo and the National Medical Center found that one in four adults had visited an emergency room at a major hospital for minor injuries or illnesses in the past three years.

Major hospitals include university hospitals and those run by major conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai.

Younger individuals tended to seek care at such emergency rooms. In the survey, 28.8 percent of people in their 20s and 28.2 percent of people in their 30s reported using emergency rooms, while only 15.7 percent of those in their 50s and 23.5 percent of those aged 60 or older did the same.

By region, Ulsan had the highest percentage at 35 percent, followed by Gwangju and South Jeolla, each at 33.3 percent, North Jeolla at 31.4 percent and Daejeon at 31 percent.

As for why patients chose emergency rooms, 24.3 percent of respondents said they simply followed the instructions of the 119 emergency responders.

The second-largest group chose the emergency room closest to their home, while 15.2 percent said they believed the medical staff and equipment at major hospital emergency rooms were exceptional.

Another 8.2 percent said they used major hospitals' emergency rooms because they lacked information about services at smaller hospitals.

Kim Seong-jung, head of the National Emergency Medical Center, expressing concern that with ER workers in limited supply, patients in serious condition may not get the care they need if major hospital ERs are filled with people with minor ailments.

The government is considering measures to increase the financial burden on patients using the emergency room for non-life-threatening medical situations, with 90 percent of respondents in the survey indicating the need to restrict use.