Gangneung Medical Center in Gangwon Province cannot utilize its designated isolation beds because the facility lacks sufficient nursing staff [1].
This staffing gap leaves critical infrastructure idle during potential health crises, undermining the national strategy to maintain rapid response capabilities for infectious diseases. While the facility possesses the physical space to isolate patients, the absence of personnel creates a bottleneck in patient care.
The hospital has 25 designated isolation beds, including five negative-pressure beds [1]. These beds were installed in 2012 with approximately 1.2 billion KRW in funding [1]. Despite the investment, the beds remain largely unused because the hospital cannot hire the 12 additional nurses required to maintain a three-shift operation [1].
Financial constraints have blocked the recruitment of these necessary staff members [2]. This lack of manpower has forced the hospital to transfer patients to other facilities. In one instance, nine out of 10 suspected tuberculosis patients had to be moved elsewhere [1].
Gangneung Medical Center is part of a broader national network. Across South Korea, 38 hospitals receive government support to operate approximately 600 national designated inpatient treatment beds [1]. These facilities are designed to ensure the country can respond quickly to outbreaks, but the situation in Gangneung highlights a disconnect between infrastructure procurement and operational funding.
"The reason is the lack of dedicated medical personnel," a reporter for YTN News said [1].
“The hospital has 25 designated isolation beds, including five negative-pressure beds.”
This situation illustrates a systemic failure where government funding focuses on the procurement of physical assets—such as beds and specialized ventilation—without providing sustainable operational budgets for the human labor required to run them. When a regional hub cannot utilize its capacity, it places additional strain on other hospitals and increases the risk of delayed treatment for infectious diseases.
