Gangneung Medical Center in Gangwon Province is unable to use its government-designated isolation beds because it lacks the nursing staff to operate them [1].

This staffing crisis leaves a critical piece of public health infrastructure dormant despite the hospital possessing the highest number of isolation beds in the region [1]. The inability to staff these wards prevents the facility from managing infectious diseases locally, forcing patients to be transferred elsewhere.

The hospital has 25 government-designated isolation beds, which include five negative-pressure beds [1]. These facilities were installed in 2012 using a combined national and local budget of 1.2 billion KRW [1]. However, the beds remain largely unused because there are no dedicated medical staff to oversee them [1].

To operate the wards on a standard three-shift rotation, the facility requires 12 additional nurses [2]. Hospital officials said the facility cannot hire these staff members due to severe financial difficulties [2].

This lack of manpower has direct consequences for patient care. In one instance, nine out of 10 patients suspected of having tuberculosis had to be transferred out of the facility [2].

"The lights in the wards are off and the beds are empty," said a YTN anchor [1]. The report highlighted that the facility's capacity is irrelevant without the personnel to manage it. While there are approximately 600 national designated isolation beds across the country, the utility of these resources depends entirely on the financial health of the hospitals hosting them [1].

"It is because there is no dedicated medical personnel," said YTN reporter Song Se-hyeok [1]. Song said that while the 12 nurses are needed for the three-shift system, the medical center does not have the financial leeway to recruit them [2].

“The lights in the wards are off and the beds are empty.”

This situation illustrates a systemic failure where infrastructure investment is decoupled from operational funding. While the South Korean government invested in physical capacity in 2012, the lack of ongoing subsidies for personnel creates a 'ghost' infrastructure. For Gangwon Province, this means that despite having the regional lead in bed count, the actual capacity to treat infectious diseases remains critically low, increasing the burden on other healthcare facilities.