 ▲ 윤석열 대통령이 추석 연휴 마지막 날인 18일 오후 서울 성북구 우리아이들병원을 찾아 진료 대기 중인 어린이 환자·보호자와 인사를 나누고 있다. © 대통령실 |
윤석열 대통령이 추석 연휴 마지막 날인 18일 지역 어린이병원을 찾아 현장 의료진들 노고를 격려하고 소아 환자·가족들에게 응원메지시를 건넸다고 대통령실이 전했다.
윤 대통령은 이날 오후 서울 성북구 성북 우리아이들병원을 방문해 추석 연휴 기간 진료 유지에 차질없는지 현장을 살피며 의료진을 격려 후 "정부가 더 많이 지원하고 뒷받침하겠다"고 밝혔다고 정혜전 대통령실 대변인이 서면브리핑에서 전했다.
윤 대통령의 어린이병원 방문은 지난 2023년 2월 서울대병원 어린이병원, 2024년 3월 서울아산병원 어린이병원에 이어 세 번째인 가운데 대형병원 내 어린이병원이 아닌 지역 어린이병원(2차 병원) 방문은 이번이 처음이다. 성북 우리아이들병원은 구로 우리아이들병원과 함께 전국에 2개뿐인 소아청소년과 전문병원이다.
윤 대통령은 정성관 우리아이들의료재단 이사장 안내로 주사실·임상병리실·내과·X-ray실 등을 돌며 "고생이 많아요, 명절 때 아이가 아프면 걱정이 큰데 이번 연휴에도 아픈 아이들을 위해 애써 주고 계셔서 감사하다"며 "의료진 덕분에 부모들이 안심할 것"이라고 의료진에 감사를 표했다.
이어 입원병동으로 이동해 입원실을 둘러보며 입원 중인 6살 아이에게 "얼마 동안 입원했니? 송편은 먹었어? 할아버지가 싸 올걸 그랬나?"라며 묻고, 담당 의사에게 "입원 후 많이 좋아졌는지" 묻자 담당 의사가 "많이 좋아졌다"고 하자 윤 대통령은 아이에게 "빨리 좋아져서 퇴원하면 열심히 뛰어다녀"라고 응원했다.
또 22개월 아기가 입원 중인 우즈베키스탄인 아버지에게 "어떤 증세로 입원했나요? 아이는 많이 나아졌나요?"라고 묻고, 담당 의사가 "열이 많이 났는데 이젠 괜찮다"고 하자 "치료 잘 부탁한다"고 당부했다.
더불어 진료를 기다리는 어린이·부모와 간단히 대화를 나누고 사진 요청에도 흔쾌히 응한 후 아이들에게 "씩씩해 보기 좋네. 치료 잘 받고 돌아가. 할아버지가 응원할께"라고 격려했다.
윤 대통령은 입원실을 둘러본 후 정 이사장에게 "정부가 더 많이 지원하고 뒷받침하겠다"고 약속하면서 동석한 조규홍 보건복지부 장관에게 "정부가 어떤 점을 도와주면 좋을지 잘 상의해달라"고 지시했다.
이 자리엔 정 이사장과 김민상 성북 우리아이들병원장·전문의·간호사 등 의료진과 조 장관·권병기 보건복지부 필수의료지원관·대통령실 성태윤 정책실장·장상윤 사회수석 등이 함께했다.
앞서 이날 오전 윤 대통령은 참모진들과의 회의에서 "아이들이 밝고 건강하게 자라도록 뒷받침하는 게 국가 책무"라며 "필수 의료 핵심인 소아 의료에도 필요한 지원·투자를 아끼지 않아야 한다"고 강조했다고 정 대변인이 전했다.
그러면서 "이번 연휴가 길어 응급의료에 대해 국민께서 걱정이 많았다"며 "연휴 막바지인 현재까지 현장 어려움·불편이 없진 않았지만 밤낮없이 의료 현장을 지켜주신 의료진과 환자 이송에 애써주신 구급대원 여러분 덕분에 잘 이겨낼 수 있었다"고 말했다.
또 "의료기관들의 적극적 진료 참여·의료진 종사자 헌신 그리고 뭣보다도 큰 병원 응급실 방문을 자제하며 불편을 감내해 주신 국민 여러분 덕분"이라며 "추석 연휴가 끝나지 않은 만큼 의료진·구급대원·지자체 관계자들이 끝까지 최선을 다해 주시길 당부드리며 정부·지자체는 의료기관이 정상 운영될 때까지 총력을 다해달라"고 주문했다.
정 대변인은 "복지부 발표에 따르면 추석 연휴 기간인 지난 16일과 17일 문을 연 의료기관은 당초 계획보다 각각 18% 25% 증가했다"며 "추석 당일 응급실 내원 환자는 지난해 추석 당일과 비교해 39% 감소했고, 경증 환자는 45% 감소해 응급실 대신 동네 병의원을 이용한 것으로 분석된다"고 전했다.
 ▲ 윤석열 대통령이 추석 연휴 마지막 날인 18일 오후 서울 성북구 우리아이들병원을 찾아 의료진을 격려하고 있다. © 대통령실 |
*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.
President Yoon Seok-yeol visits local children's hospital to encourage medical staff and support pediatric patients and families
On-site inspection of Woori Children's Hospital in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul "It is the responsibility of the state to support children to grow up bright and healthy. We must not spare support and investment in pediatrics, which is the core of essential medical care."
-kihong Kim reporter
The presidential office reported that President Yoon Seok-yeol visited a local children's hospital on the 18th, the last day of the Chuseok holiday, to encourage the hard work of medical staff and send a message of support to pediatric patients and their families.
President Yoon visited Seongbuk Woori Children's Hospital in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the same day, inspected the site to ensure that there were no disruptions to treatment during the Chuseok holiday, encouraged the medical staff, and said, "The government will provide more support and assistance," presidential spokesperson Chung Hye-jeon reported in a written briefing.
President Yoon's visit to a children's hospital is his third, following Seoul National University Hospital Children's Hospital in February 2023 and Seoul Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital in March 2024, and his first visit to a regional children's hospital (secondary hospital) rather than a children's hospital within a large hospital. Seongbuk Woori Children's Hospital, along with Guro Woori Children's Hospital, is one of only two pediatric and adolescent hospitals in the country.
President Yoon, guided by Jeong Seong-gwan, the chairman of the Our Children's Medical Foundation, went around the injection room, clinical pathology room, internal medicine room, and X-ray room, and expressed his gratitude to the medical staff, saying, "You must have worked hard. It's a big worry when a child gets sick during the holidays, but I'm grateful that you're working hard for sick children during this holiday as well." He added, "Thanks to the medical staff, parents will feel reassured."
He then moved to the hospital ward and looked around the room, asking a 6-year-old child who was hospitalized, "How long have you been hospitalized? Did you eat songpyeon? Should I have brought grandfather?" and asked the attending physician, "Has he gotten much better since being hospitalized?" When the attending physician said, "He has gotten much better," President Yoon encouraged the child, saying, "Get better soon and run around hard when you're discharged."
He also asked the Uzbek father, whose 22-month-old baby was hospitalized, "What symptoms did you have for being hospitalized? Has your child gotten much better?" and when the attending physician said, "He had a high fever, but he's fine now," he asked, "Please take good care of him."
In addition, he briefly chatted with the children and parents waiting for treatment and readily accepted their request for photos, and encouraged them by saying, “It’s good to see you’re so strong. Get treatment and go back. Your grandfather will be cheering you on.”
After looking around the hospital room, President Yoon promised Chairman Jeong, “The government will provide more support and assistance,” and instructed Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong, who was present, to “discuss carefully what the government can do to help.”
Chairman Jeong, Seongbuk Our Children’s Hospital Director Kim Min-sang, specialists, nurses, and other medical staff, as well as Minister Cho, Kwon Byeong-gi, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s essential medical support officer, Seong Tae-yoon, the policy director of the presidential office, and Jang Sang-yoon, senior secretary for social affairs, were present at the meeting.
Earlier that morning, Spokesperson Jeong reported that President Yoon emphasized in a meeting with his staff that “it is the country’s responsibility to support children to grow up bright and healthy,” and that “we must not spare the necessary support and investment in pediatric medical care, which is a core area of essential medical care.”
He said, “This holiday was long, so the public was worried about emergency medical care,” and “Although there were difficulties and inconveniences on site until the end of the holiday, we were able to overcome them thanks to the medical staff who worked day and night to protect the medical field and the paramedics who worked hard to transport patients.”
He also said, “Thanks to the active participation of medical institutions in treatment, the dedication of medical staff, and most of all, the public who refrained from visiting hospital emergency rooms and endured the inconvenience,” and “Since the Chuseok holiday is not over, I ask that the medical staff, paramedics, and local government officials do their best until the end, and the government and local governments should do their best until medical institutions are operating normally.”
Spokesperson Jeong said, "According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of medical institutions that opened on the 16th and 17th during the Chuseok holiday increased by 18% and 25%, respectively, compared to the original plan." He added, "The number of patients visiting emergency rooms on Chuseok day decreased by 39% compared to Chuseok day last year, and the number of patients with mild symptoms decreased by 45%, which is analyzed to be because they used neighborhood hospitals and clinics instead of emergency rooms."
