Sick during the Lunar New Year? Here's who to call and where to go.

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Sick during the Lunar New Year? Here's who to call and where to go.

A notice informing of normal business hours on Jan. 17, a temporary holiday, is posted at the entrance of Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Jung District, Daegu, on Jan. 14. [NEWS1]

A notice informing of normal business hours on Jan. 17, a temporary holiday, is posted at the entrance of Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Jung District, Daegu, on Jan. 14. [NEWS1]

 
An average of 2,600 hospitals per day will be open nationwide during the Lunar New Year. In case of an emergency, patients can use the consultation services operated by the Korean government or regional authorities, such as the 119, 120 and 129 numbers.
 
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will operate the Lunar New Year emergency response week until Feb. 5. Accordingly, the operation of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies will expand, and fever clinics and respiratory disease cooperative hospitals will be designated to prepare for emergency patients during the holiday.
 
Patients can check the hospitals, clinics and pharmacies that are open on a daily basis during the holiday by calling the Emergency Medical Portal, the Health Ministry Call Center (129) or the National Local Government Call Center (120). Citizens can also search through map services provided by portal sites such as Naver Map and Kakao Map.
 
Those experiencing a medical emergency should call 119. Nurses, first-class paramedics and other professional counselors are stationed at the 119 Emergency Situation Management Centers of fire departments nationwide 24 hours a day, providing guidance on hospitals, clinics and pharmacies as well as emergency medical consultation and emergency treatment guidance.
 

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Overseas travelers and seafaring ship crews, as well as overseas Koreans, can also receive emergency medical consultation during the holiday season.
 
Consultation can be requested by phone at +82-44-320-0119, email at [email protected], through the internet at http://119.go.kr and through the fire department emergency medical consultation service KakaoTalk channel.
 
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is dispatching emergency medical system field situation managers to 17 cities and provinces to support the operation of the national emergency medical system.  
 
”We will do our best to operate the emergency medical system without any gaps during the holiday period,” said Lee Han-kyung, director of the Disaster and Safety Management Department at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
 
An average of 3,500 hospitals and clinics and 1,900 pharmacies will be open per day in Seoul during the Lunar New Year. Patients can check the medical institutions that provide treatment through the websites of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and 25 autonomous districts as well as the Dasan Call Center (120).
 
Seoul will also operate the emergency medical system 24 hours a day during the holiday. A total of 70 locations will operate on a regular basis, including 31 regional emergency medical centers such as Seoul National University Hospital, 18 regional emergency medical institutions including Seoul Seonam Hospital, and 21 facilities operating emergency rooms.
 
Twenty-five public health centers and seven municipal hospitals in Seoul will operate emergency medical teams for two days each during the four-day Lunar New Year. Four locations — the Seoul Medical Center, Boramae Hospital, Dongbu Hospital and Seonam Hospital — will maintain a 24-hour emergency medical system.
 
Two urgent care centers supporting urgent nighttime treatment for patients who have difficulty using the emergency room and four specialized hospitals will also operate normally during the holiday period.
 
Eight ‘Our Child Safety Hospitals’ and three ‘Our Child Specialized Emergency Centers’ for pediatric patients will also operate 24 hours a day. Seriously ill patients can receive treatment at 10 ‘Our Child Safety Clinics’ and 14 ‘Moonlight Children’s Hospitals.’
 
Safety medicines such as digestives, antipyretics and cold medicines can be purchased at 7,168 safety medicine stores, including convenience stores.
 
Patients can also check the Seoul City 2025 Lunar New Year Holiday Comprehensive Information Center for more information.
 
 
 

BY MOON HEE-CHUL, LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]
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