J Korean Med Assoc.  2016 Aug;59(8):644-651. 10.5124/jkma.2016.59.8.644.

A review of the clinical findings in patients who visited a clinic in Kaeseong Industrial District

• Kim H
• Kim KH
• Shin DW
• Kim H
• Jeon W
• Park JM
• Park J
• Lee H

• KMID: 2349842
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2016.59.8.644

Abstract

The Kaeseong Industrial District (KID) is a special economic zone that is being managed in partnership by North Korea and South Korea. The Kaeseong Industrial District Medical Clinic (KIDMC) was founded to deliver healthcare services to South Korean workers staying at the KID. The purpose of this study is to understand the clinical manifestations of the patients who visited the KIDMC from January 2013 to November 2014. All data were collected by analyzing the medical records of the patients. Gender, age, vital signs, and causes of visits were collected. The causes of visits to the clinic were categorized according to the Korean Standard Classification of Causes of Death and Disease, 6th edition. Information about the patients who underwent emergency evacuation from the KID to South Korea was reviewed in depth. The number of patients included in this study was 1,199. The total number of clinic visits was 2,548 and 3,873 in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The most common reason for a visit was respiratory problems (34.99%). During the study period, 103 patients underwent emergency evacuation from the KID during the study period. The most common reason for evacuation was trauma (20.39%). The mean time of emergency evacuation from the KIDMC to the southern office of Customs, Immigration and Quarantine was 176 minutes. We concluded that the KIDMC must obtain medical equipment and human resources for patients with various health conditions. Furthermore, equipment and medical staff should be obtained, and a system established, for fast, safe evacuation. We expect that this study provides information that would be valuable for such efforts.

Keyword

Kaeseong Industrial District; Emergency medical services; Transportation of patients

MeSH Terms

Ambulatory Care
Cause of Death
Classification
Delivery of Health Care
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Emergencies
Emergency Medical Services
Emigration and Immigration
Humans
Korea
Medical Records
Medical Staff
Quarantine
Transportation of Patients
Vital Signs

Figure

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  Figure 1 Patient visits per month during study period. Two thousand five hundred forty-eight patients visited in 2013, 3,873 patients visited in 2014. From 6th April to 16th August 2013, there was no patient visit because Kaeseong Industrial District was locked down.

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  Figure 2 These pictures show facilities of Kaeseong Industrial District Medical Clinic. (A) Overview, (B) resuscitation and procedure room, (C) pharmacy, and (D) physical therapy room.

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