Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
2,500 pharmacies, hospitals to open during holidays
Over-the-counter drugs and medical supplies are displayed at a pharmacy in central Seoul, Dec. 28, 2023. Yonhap
By Lee Hae-rin
Some 2,500 pharmacies and hospitals will remain open during the Lunar New Year holiday — from Friday to Monday — to prevent a medical service vacuum, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Thursday.
Emergency rooms at general hospitals and 66 emergency medical treatment centers in the capital will operate 24 hours as usual. Public health and medical institutions will also be open during office hours.
In addition, 916 hospitals and 1,619 pharmacies are designated to operate during the four-day holiday.
Pediatric patients who are under 18 years of age can receive treatment in 20 children’s hospitals that are designated by the city government to operate during nighttime and holidays and that includes eight hospitals for minor ailment treatments and three hospitals for major ailments and emergencies, both operating around the clock. Nine hospitals will provide nighttime outpatient clinic for children with mild cases.
Further information on pharmacies and hospitals that operate during the holiday can be found on the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s website, the city government’s website, the websites of 25 district governments and the National Emergency Medical Center website.
Also, Seoul city’s 120 Dasan Call Center, the health ministry’s 129 call center and 119 emergency center are available for phone inquiries.
The National Emergency Medical Center mobile application, dubbed “e-gen,” also provides related information. The app provides a map service that shows operating hospitals and pharmacies close to the user and marks locations of nearby nighttime clinics and automated external defibrillators (AED).
Thirteen types of common household medicines, including digestive medicine, antipyretics, analgesics, cold medicine and pain relief patches, are available in convenience stores.
Several other municipalities, including Gangwon Province, South Chungcheong and Jeolla Provinces and Busan City, are also preparing for possible medical service vacuums in their regions and will have operating hospitals and pharmacies.
Detailed information by region is available via the health ministry’s 129 call center, 119 emergency center and the National Emergency Medical Center website and application.
The health ministry and local governments plan to operate an emergency treatment situation room to monitor hospital and pharmacy management across the country.
“As the number of visitors to emergency rooms is expected to grow over the Lunar New Year holiday, we ask patients with non-emergent, minor ailments to opt for other operational hospitals or public health centers, if possible,” a public health policy official of the ministry said.