South Korean coronavirus patient dies at home as 600 wait for hospital beds in Daegu

About 500 patients are currently hospitalised in Daegu, but officials plan to increase the number of beds to 2,000 next week

Medical experts have suggested using sports stadiums and training centres as temporary hospitals, and only admitting serious cases to medical facilities

Reading Time:2 minutes

Containers have been set up as a makeshift medical facility on the grounds of a hospital in Daegu, the centre of South Korea’s coronavirus outbreak, as officials address the shortage of hospital beds in the city. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 4:30pm, 28 Feb 2020Updated: 11:38pm, 28 Feb 2020

South Korean authorities are scrambling to increase the number of hospital beds in Daegu to deal with the sudden escalation in coronavirus cases in the city, after a 74-year-old man died at home while waiting to be admitted to a hospital.

The man, who suffered from chronic kidney problems and had received a kidney transplant, started to complain of a slight fever last Saturday. Daegu health authorities monitored his condition by calling him twice a day.

He experienced serious respiratory difficulties early on Friday and died before he could be transported to a hospital, becoming the country’s 13th coronavirus death.

South Korean medical workers wearing protective gear visit a residence of people with suspected symptoms of the Covid-19 coronavirus to take samples. Photo: AFP

“We are sorry that the patient missed the chance to be admitted to hospital for treatment at the right time,” said deputy health minister Kim Gan-lip.

“It is regretful that procedures for hospital admissions are not really keeping up with the fast discovery of new cases” in Daegu, he said.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x