Rival parties have agreed on creating a government-funded hospital specializing in handling nationwide disasters such as the recent outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome.

In an emergency meeting held Sunday to discuss the countermeasures against the MERS outbreak, the ruling Saenuri and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy concurred on the need to create a “National Disaster Hospital.” For this purpose, 120 billion won ($107.2) will be allocated in next year’s budget.

On Monday, Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo said that his ministry is also considering the establishment of a disaster hospital. “We (the ministry) do believe that the hospital is necessary. I promise to come up with specific plans,” he told the National Assembly.

The hospital will function as a “control tower” in case of disasters that require large-scale medical support. Unlike other hospitals, it will have the capacity to mobilize medical staff as well as house special quarantine facilities such as negative pressure isolation rooms, critical for preventing cross-contamination from room to room.

The decision came amid growing criticism over the government’s management of calamities that have occurred in the past few years.

The idea for the hospital first surfaced in 2009 when H1N1 flu virus landed in Korea, but was scrapped due to budgetary constraints. It resurfaced again as a slew of emergency situations ― such as the MERS outbreak and last year’s deadly sinking of ferry Sewol ― underscored the need for state-backed medical support.

In March, Saenuri leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung met with Yonsei University chief Jeong Kap-young, who suggested that such a hospital should be actively considered. The two met after visiting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert who was attacked by a leftist extremist.

“Right after the Sewol accident, local health care staff had difficulty in providing medical assistance due to the lack of manpower and hospital wards,” Rep. Shin Eui-jin told local media Sunday, adding that the same problem occurred during the MERS outbreak.

As of Monday afternoon, 88 people have been infected by MERS, six of whom died. A total of 2,508 people have been quarantined.

By Yoon Min-sik ()


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com