Suncheon's St. Carolo Hospital retains regional emergency center status for 4th consecutive term

Ministry of Health and Welfare designates hospital for 4 consecutive terms in triennial regional emergency medical center review

St. Carolo Hospital in South Jeolla Province has been designated a regional emergency medical center for the fourth consecutive term after passing the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2026 redesignation review.

Of 80 medical institutions nationwide that applied, 53 were designated. St. Carolo Hospital — a 598-bed facility in Suncheon, a city with no medical school or university hospital — was the only institution selected across the broader area covering Suncheon, Yeosu, Gwangyang, Gurye and Goheung.

With the redesignation, the hospital will continue providing around-the-clock critical emergency medical services from November through October 2029, a three-year term.

Regional emergency medical centers are the highest-tier emergency care institutions under the Emergency Medical Service Act, responsible for delivering definitive treatment to critically ill emergency patients.

Beyond treating emergency patients, the centers play a central role in regional emergency care — supporting other emergency medical institutions within their area and coordinating medical responses to disasters and mass-casualty incidents.

Suncheon Mayor Son Hun-mo said the city would use the redesignation as a springboard to expand essential medical infrastructure across all stages of life — including round-the-clock maternity and neonatal intensive care, pediatric emergency services, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular care, and rehabilitation medicine. "We will accelerate the building of a self-sufficient public healthcare system where everyone, from children to the elderly, can feel secure," he said.