Incheon island emergency transport times 2.4 times higher than national average

Emergency medical transport from islands in Incheon to mainland hospitals takes an average of 150 minutes, which is 2.4 times longer than the national average of 62 minutes. Data analyzed by Representative Heo Jong-sik reveals that 63.6% of emergency transfers in the Incheon maritime police jurisdiction took over two hours, significantly higher than the national rate of 14.9%.

In extreme cases on Baengnyeongdo, patients were transported via Coast Guard vessels with durations reaching over nine hours. Other islands, such as Yeonpyeongdo, saw transport times exceeding five hours. While helicopters are used, they only accounted for 11.4% of cases in the region.

A critical issue is the high frequency of nighttime emergencies, which accounted for 59.1% of Incheon's island transfers compared to a national average of 43.3%. The limitations of ‘Doctor Helicopters,’ which are restricted to daylight hours, have led to a significant decrease in their deployment. For instance, deployments from Gachon University Gil Hospital dropped by over 70% between 2022 and 2023, placing a heavy burden on Coast Guard and fire service vessels during nighttime hours.