[Anchor]

When a child suddenly needs surgery, it is not uncommon for families to have to travel to another city because they cannot find a local hospital to treat them. However, Ulsan's first pediatric surgery center, which opened last month, is stepping in to fill this gap in pediatric care.

UBC reporter Seong Gi-won has the story.

[Reporter]

Two-year-old Lee Seo plays with toys with her father on a hospital bed.

Just days ago, her knee was severely swollen and she was complaining of intense pain.

She was diagnosed with septic arthritis, an inflammation of the knee joint.

For young children, this condition requires prompt treatment because if the infection spreads, it can lead to a critical condition.

Surgery was necessary, but the first hospital she visited could not perform the operation because it was difficult to administer anesthesia to a two-year-old.

[Kwon Dal-cheon and Kwon Lee-seo: Whether it was during the MRI or when entering the operating room, I went in with her. I didn't know what it was like when she went under anesthesia, but seeing my baby get anesthetized broke my heart quite a bit. You can do it. You can do it.]

The Pediatric Surgery Center at Ulsan University Hospital opened last month.

During its first month of operation, a total of 15 children, including Lee Seo, underwent surgery.

While pediatric surgeries were previously possible, the difference now is that instead of patients searching for specialists, the hospital first connects them with the necessary medical staff.

Twelve departments are participating, including nine surgical departments such as general surgery and orthopedics, along with pediatrics, radiology, and anesthesiology.

When a request comes in from a local clinic or hospital, the patient referral center acts as a single window to find a specialist available for surgery, connecting everything from examinations and tests to hospitalization.

[Cho Min-jung / Head of Pediatric Surgery Center, Ulsan University Hospital: The biggest difference is that patients can check whether tests and surgeries are available before visiting the hospital...]

In fact, recently, a newborn in need of emergency surgery was referred by a local children's hospital and successfully operated on just three hours after arriving at the hospital.

[Cho Min-jung / Head of Pediatric Surgery Center, Ulsan University Hospital: Reducing the burden on guardians who had to anxiously make calls around to find care is also the ultimate goal of our pediatric surgery center.]

The hospital plans to strengthen the referral and return system with local medical institutions to minimize unnecessary transfers of pediatric patients.

Attention is focused on whether the newly launched pediatric surgery center can serve as a catalyst for building a regional pediatric healthcare safety net.

(Video by Choi Hak-soon / UBC, Footage provided by Ulsan University Hospital)

Seong Gi-won, UBC