Gyeonggi Province Faces Challenges Transferring Critically Ill Patients Amid Specialized Ambulance Shortage

Patients in critical condition, suffering from issues like low oxygen saturation, have faced difficulties being transferred to larger hospitals in the Ansan area of Gyeonggi Province. A patient who was hospitalized in the intensive care unit after receiving emergency treatment for breathing difficulties needed to be moved to a higher-level general hospital. However, the transfer was delayed due to a shortage of specialized ambulances equipped with the necessary medical equipment for transporting critically ill patients.

Specialized ambulances are vehicles equipped with essential medical equipment such as ventilators, oxygen supply systems, and patient monitors, crucial for transferring severe patients. Medical personnel accompany these ambulances, enabling them to provide emergency care during transport, making them indispensable for the transfer process of critically ill patients.

This complaint highlights the importance of the transport system, separate from bed availability. Even when treatment capacity is available at higher-level general hospitals, delays in actual transfer significantly increase the risk of missing critical treatment windows. Ensuring continuity of care for severe patients requires not only securing hospital beds but also a seamless operation of appropriate transport methods and medical personnel support.

Gyeonggi Province is a region with a large number of severe emergency cases, and a considerable number of patients are transferred to large hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area, leading to consistent demand for specialized ambulances. To reduce gaps in emergency patient transport, measures such as acquiring more specialized ambulances, establishing a system for operating reserve vehicles, strengthening coordination with private transport resources, and improving the metropolitan emergency transfer system are needed.

The complaint has been forwarded to relevant authorities in Ansan City, and the patient is scheduled to be transferred to a higher-level general hospital on the morning of the 12th. This case underscores the critical importance of the emergency transport system, which connects critically ill patients to actual treatment facilities, going beyond the mere issue of bed shortages.