A review of the clinical findings in patients who visited a clinic in Kaeseong Industrial District

ABSTRACT

The Kaeseong Industrial District (KID) is a special economic zone that is being managed in partnership by North Korea and South Korea. The Kaeseong Industrial District Medical Clinic (KIDMC) was founded to deliver healthcare services to South Korean workers staying at the KID. The purpose of this study is to understand the clinical manifestations of the patients who visited the KIDMC from January 2013 to November 2014. All data were collected by analyzing the medical records of the patients. Gender, age, vital signs, and causes of visits were collected. The causes of visits to the clinic were categorized according to the Korean Standard Classification of Causes of Death and Disease, 6th edition. Information about the patients who underwent emergency evacuation from the KID to South Korea was reviewed in depth. The number of patients included in this study was 1,199. The total number of clinic visits was 2,548 and 3,873 in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The most common reason for a visit was respiratory problems (34.99%). During the study period, 103 patients underwent emergency evacuation from the KID during the study period. The most common reason for evacuation was trauma (20.39%). The mean time of emergency evacuation from the KIDMC to the southern office of Customs, Immigration and Quarantine was 176 minutes. We concluded that the KIDMC must obtain medical equipment and human resources for patients with various health conditions. Furthermore, equipment and medical staff should be obtained, and a system established, for fast, safe evacuation. We expect that this study provides information that would be valuable for such efforts.