MEDICAL STAFF DISPATCHED TO DAEGU

[Anchor Lead]

Medical professionals are in short supply in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, where the number of coronavirus cases continues to spike. Medical staff from other regions including army doctors have been dispatched to the region first, and doctors from private hospitals are also joining them. Meanwhile, the social media is awash with encouraging messages for the residents of Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

[Pkg]

A negative pressure ward at Daegu Medical Center... Doctors here are fighting against COVID-19 day and night. But fatigue and shortage of medical professionals makes the situation even more challenging. As soon as the government announced the recruitment of medical volunteers, doctors from across the nation flocked to Daegu. Some 190 medical professionals including military doctors were mobilized first. One of them is Kim Myung-jae, a public health doctor from Mokpo.

[Soundbite] KIM MYUNG-JAE(PUBLIC HEALTH DOCTOR DISPATCHED TO DAEGU) : "It's impossible to handle this during regular work hours only. We are working after hours and around the clock."

The volunteers are working in an emergency regime by visiting patients in person to collect specimens and conducting epidemiological surveys. At the heart of the disaster, the situation is much worse than it seems.

[Soundbite] KIM JUNG-HWAN(PUBLIC HEALTH DOCTOR DISPATCHED TO DAEGU) : "The locals are very worried and afraid. But we can get through this. They can trust us, because we're doing our best."

Some 60 doctors from private clinics also expressed willingness to volunteer in Daegu, and their number keeps growing. A procession of ambulances is heading to Daegu, where infections continue to spike. The public is lauding medical volunteers on social media by calling them "unsung heroes" and saying, "We will never forget your help." "Hang in there, Daegu!" and "Hang in there, Gyeongsangbuk-do!" Social media is abuzz with hashtagged phrases cheering on residents in the regions.

[Soundbite] PARK HAN-SEON(PH.D., SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY) : "Such encouraging messages are usually posted voluntarily. If they become a social norm, it will result in the buildup of social trust."

The dedication and hard work of medical professionals along with encouragement from the public for areas hit hard by the virus continue to garner deserving attention on social media.