BUSAN — A pilot initiative aimed at revamping Busan’s emergency medical framework is showing significant results, sharply reducing the need to transfer critical trauma patients outside the city while accelerating hospital response times.

According to evaluation data released by the Busan Metropolitan Government, inter-regional transfers for severe and moderate trauma cases dropped by 53.8 percent this year, falling to a monthly average of just 3 cases compared to 6.5 cases last year.

At the core of the initiative is a "hub-and-spoke" operational model. Pusan National University Hospital acts as the central hub, managing high-complexity surgeries and intensive critical care. Meanwhile, designated regional trauma hub hospitals—namely Centum General Hospital and Good Samsun Hospital, which were selected through a public vetting process in April—handle initial triage, prompt stabilization, and preliminary medical intervention.

The structural shift has noticeably strengthened Busan’s self-sufficiency in handling emergency cases. Regional trauma hub hospitals increased their patient accommodation rate from 10.2 percent last year to 19.6 percent this year. Breakdown figures show severe patient intake climbing from 10.6 percent to 18.6 percent, and moderate cases rising from 9.9 percent to 20.1 percent.

Operational efficiency has improved across the board. The time required for emergency personnel to select an appropriate hospital for severe trauma patients decreased by 2.8 minutes to 21.5 minutes, while actual transit times shrank by 3.2 minutes to average 12.1 minutes.

Most notably, secondary transfers—the time it takes to move a patient from a local facility to the primary trauma center—dropped drastically. The average duration for indirect transfers to Pusan National University Hospital was cut by 74.2 minutes, falling from 332.3 minutes down to 258.1 minutes.

City officials credit improved inter-agency coordination between local trauma centers, community hub hospitals, and the emergency fire services for the breakthrough. Moving forward, the city plans to refine on-site triage accuracy and tighten 24-hour response networks to eliminate bottlenecks and avoidable delays.

"For severely injured patients, minutes dictate survival," said Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo. "By cementing tighter collaboration among our medical centers and first responders, we are building a fully self-contained regional trauma system ensuring that patients in Busan receive swift, specialized care right where they are."

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