Emergency medical centers face patient surges during holiday periods

During the Chuseok holiday, regional emergency medical centers are experiencing significant surges in patient volume. The influx is driven by holiday travel and the closure of local clinics, forcing both critical and non-urgent cases to seek care at major facilities. In some regions, severe and semi-severe cases account for approximately 86.28% of the total workload, placing heavy strain on limited specialist staffing.

To manage patient flow and prevent emergency rooms from being overwhelmed by minor ailments, healthcare authorities in Taiwan have highlighted 13 Urgent Care Centers (UCC) across major cities. These centers operate from 8:00 AM to midnight during the holiday to treat non-life-threatening issues such as fever, respiratory discomfort, gastrointestinal problems, and minor wounds. These UCCs provide a ‘green channel’ for referrals to hospitals if a patient's condition is found to be more complex upon assessment.