Seoul's residential treatment centers get high marks in satisfaction survey

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- Coronavirus patients who used residential treatment centers run by the Seoul city government have expressed a relatively high level of satisfaction with their medical workers and facilities, a poll showed Saturday.

The Seoul Health Foundation affiliated with the metropolitan government polled 412 people older than 19, who were treated and discharged from the city's residential treatment centers for mild COVID-19 cases from April 1 to Oct. 27, and they awarded an average satisfaction score of 3.8 out of a possible 5 points.

Authorities have classified COVID-19 cases by severity to place priority on treating more severe cases at hospitals, sending mild cases to residential treatment centers nationwide for medical treatment and monitoring. At present, there are six residential treatment centers with about 1,100 beds in Seoul.

The survey respondents were asked to evaluate Seoul's residential treatment centers in five categories and gave a score of 4 each to medical workers' services and the centers' facilities and environment.

In the category of testing and monitoring, the centers garnered a score of 3.7, while their admission and discharging procedures were given a score of 3.6.

Notably, the poll respondents gave an impressive score of 4.4 points to the manners of medical workers, while putting the score for quality and quantity of food provided by the centers at 3.6 points.

Foundation officials speculate that some center residents are unsatisfied with food, because they have to eat only boxed meals due to a ban on outside food.

As of Oct. 27, a total of 2,171 people were admitted to Seoul's residential treatment centers, and 1,708 of them were discharged. About 37 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the capital have been sent to those centers.

ycm@yna.co.kr
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