The number of top-tier emergency medical hubs serving critically ill patients in Incheon will grow from two to three.
The expansion is expected to significantly improve emergency care access in the city's relatively underserved northern districts and strengthen what officials call a "regionally self-contained" emergency care system — one in which patients receive full treatment without being transferred outside the city.
Incheon Metropolitan City announced Thursday that the Catholic University of Korea Incheon St. Mary's Hospital has been newly designated as a regional emergency medical center, following the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2026–2029 Regional Emergency Medical Center Redesignation results.
With the addition, Incheon now has three such centers — Gachon University Gil Medical Center and Inha University Hospital, which held the designation previously, are joined by Incheon St. Mary's Hospital.
The designation runs for three years, from Nov. 1, 2026, through Oct. 31, 2029.
Regional emergency medical centers go beyond basic emergency care, providing definitive treatment for life-threatening conditions including severe trauma, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and emergency surgery.
Until now, Incheon's regional emergency medical centers were concentrated in the southern part of the city, making it difficult for residents in the north to secure timely transport and treatment within the critical window during serious emergencies.
Incheon has repeatedly pressed the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the city's unique geographic challenges — its role as a gateway city home to an international airport and major seaport, as well as its wide-ranging remote and border areas, including islands such as Baengnyeongdo.
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
