무더위 속 선별진료소…의료진들 어쩌나
It's been quite warm recently here in South Korea... with daytime highs reaching over 30 degrees Celsius at times.
The early heatwave is hard to bare for everyone, but it's an absolute struggle for healthcare workers battling the summer heat in full-body protective clothing, goggles and masks to carry out COVID-19 tests and take care of patients.
Our Jang Tae-hyun has more.
As the weather is heating up, frontline medical staff are having a hard time.
Those at COVID-19 screening centers have to wear protective suits and so are at risk of heat exhaustion.
Last Tuesday, three nurses at Michuhol-gu District in Incheon collapsed from dehydration and were sent to hospital.
Wearing a protective suit can feel like being in an oven as the temperature inside can reach over 40 degrees Celsius.
Healthcare workers at a screening center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, say that they are not getting much rest.
Approximately half an hour of rest is required after working 40 minutes, but since hospitals are understaffed, this isn't possible.
"Protective suits are totally airtight, so it feels like I'm inside a vinyl greenhouse or in the blazing desert."
As medical staff cannot drink water or go to the restroom while wearing the suits, they are more likely to experience hyperthermia.
"We are provided with cooling vests and I hope that we can get enough cooling supplies. I understand we have to wear the anti-contamination clothing due to COVID-19, but with enough supplies we can overcome this situation without heat-related illnesses."
"The sweat's dripping down my back "
To help medical staff, the Korean government announced Wednesday that it will pay for air conditioners at six-hundred-14 screening centers nationwide.
It is also planning to provide rest areas... and allow test centers to operate at night, instead of 12 noon to 4 PM when daytime temperatures are at their highest.
Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News, Bucheon.
