On Hospital Redesignated as Busan’s Local Emergency Medical Center

[Financial News] On Hospital Emergency Medical Center, which serves as an emergency-care hub in Busan, has been redesignated by Busan Metropolitan City Government as a Local Emergency Medical Center. The center is headed by Shin Woo Sung, a specialist in emergency medicine.
The new designation will remain in effect for three years, from November 1 through October 31, 2029.
On Hospital was first designated as a Local Emergency Medical Center in Busan in late December 2020, amid the public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following its redesignation in a 2023 evaluation, the hospital has now secured a second redesignation in recognition of its operating performance and emergency-care capabilities over the past three years.
As a result, On Hospital will continue providing 24-hour emergency care for critically ill patients to more than 1 million residents in the urban area, including its jurisdiction, Busanjin District, as well as nearby Sasang District, Yeonje District, Dong District and Nam District.
Emergency-room treatment statistics for the three-year period from 2023 to 2025 demonstrate that On Hospital Emergency Medical Center has played a pivotal role as a key emergency-care institution in the region.
The number of annual emergency-room visits was 16,993 in 2022, 19,084 in 2023, 18,126 in 2024 and 17,346 last year, remaining around 18,000 each year. The proportion of patients admitted to the hospital continued to rise. Admissions through the emergency room increased steadily from 3,547 in 2022 to 4,408 in 2023, 4,876 in 2024 and 5,276 in 2025. The admission rate among all emergency-room visitors rose from 20.8% in 2022 to 30.4% in 2025, demonstrating that the center has strengthened its capacity to treat critically ill patients and others requiring inpatient care, beyond simply treating patients with mild conditions.
The hospital also delivered stable results in treating trauma patients. The number of trauma patients treated in the emergency room ranged from 4,200 to 4,800 each year. Of these, between 1,300 and 1,400 trauma patients annually were transported by 119 ambulances. The number of high-risk trauma patients requiring intensive-care-unit admission stood at 60 in 2022, 77 in 2023, 157 in 2024 and 104 in 2025. Total trauma-patient admissions also remained between 1,100 and 1,400 each year, supporting the regional trauma emergency-care system.
On Hospital Emergency Medical Center provides immediate emergency surgeries and procedures through close coordination with the specialist departments supporting the emergency room, rather than limiting its role to emergency-room treatment.
To respond to emergencies, On Hospital operates its specialist-department emergency-call system, the On-Call system, 365 days a year. The system was activated 812 times over the past year, averaging between 60 and more than 80 activations per month, enabling the hospital to deploy supporting medical staff smoothly at night and on weekends.
With On Hospital redesignated as a Local Emergency Medical Center amid a nationwide shortage of emergency medical personnel, Busan’s urban emergency-care safety net is expected to become even stronger.

[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter