By Kim Se-jeong
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) patients at Samsung Medical Center (SMC) have been transferred to two state-run hospitals in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Friday.
The transfer came after concerns SMC could breed further cases because new outbreaks keep on occurring there, including two nurses who were diagnosed the previous day.
At SMC, 15 patients were treated. Nine of them were transferred to either the National Medical Center or the Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center. Three more are waiting to be moved.
The remaining three cases at SMC include one patient who recovered and is ready to go home, and two who were unable to move because of previous illnesses they were receiving treatment for.
“The corridors and elevators used for the transfer were sealed off to prevent the spread of the virus. Protective gear was also given to people mobilized in the transfer as well,” a ministry official said.
“We will give additional instruction to medical staffers there about how to put on and take off protective gear properly because several staffers were infected while treating confirmed MERS patients,” he said.
A shortage of medical service providers at SMC was another reason for the transfer, as many doctors, nurses and other staffers have been isolated for possible contact with MERS patients. So far, 14 staffers at SMC have contracted the virus.
Following a confirmed case of a nurse there on Thursday, another nurse was also diagnosed with MERS later in the day, bringing the total number of confirmed MERS cases to 184.
The new cases shattered the hope of the authorities that the end to the MERS epidemic might be near. It is uncertain when the government can declare Korea MERS-free.
The SMC said another doctor tested positive in a primary test on Friday and is waiting for the results of a second test.
As of Friday, the death toll from MERS remained at 33. Out of 184, 109 have recovered and been released from quarantine facilities. The number of people put into isolation is 2,067, down from Thursday’s 2,238.
The government said it will spare 2.5 trillion won in the second half of this year to help the country cope with the MERS outbreak. First, 100 billion won will be spent supporting patient treatment and securing medical equipment, and another 800 billion won will be provided for financial support to affected medical centers. It will also spend 1.6 trillion won to boost the tourism industry.
The government also said it had dispatched a medical team to Gwangju where 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade kicked off on Friday.