Korea's healthcare industry is doubling efforts to support participants of the 25th World Scout Jamboree, although its organizers were heavily criticized for disorganization and unpreparedness.
Most recently, Daewoong Co. said that it has fully opened its human resource development (HRD) training center for 240 Jamboree participants from the Philippines who were forced to evacuate early due to forecasts of torrential showers brought on by Typhoon Khanun.
Daewoong said it will provide full support for rooms, foods, and all amenities.
Members of the Philippine Jamboree will stay at the HRD center from Tuesday to Saturday.
The company explained that it had prepared a nutritionally balanced diet and organized a variety of Korean food menus so that the participants could enjoy Korean food for free.
The company has also deployed additional personnel to ensure smooth accommodation and meals.
Dong-A Socio Group also provided emergency support worth 100 million won ($75,935) to the Jamboree site, including its Bacchus energy drink and Pocari Sweat ion-supply drink.
At the request of the Jamboree organizers and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, JW Pharmaceutical also provided more than 2,500 basic and nutritional fluids to the medical team at the on-site emergency medical center at the Jamboree venue.
The medicines are used to provide essential fluid therapy for those who test positive for Covid-19 or are severely dehydrated.
Hospitals offer medical support
Severance Hospital had also urgently dispatched a medical support team to the World Scout Jamboree site before the Jamboree participant evacuated to other parts of the Korean peninsula due to Typhoon Khanun.
The team, consisting of 18 doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, stayed on site for six days to treat emergency patients. An ambulance for emergency transportation was also deployed in case of severe cases.
Also, Korea University Anam Hospital dispatched a medical support team to the Jamboree site.
Medical support continued for Jamboree participants who had evacuated to the Seoul area due to Typhoon Khanun.
Along with the medical support team, Korea University Medical Center provided various medicines and provided mobile medical care.
Medical support teams for Jamboree participants evacuated to the Seoul area due to Typhoon Khanun.
Korea University Anam Hospital (KUAH) again dispatched a team to the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan Hotel in Seoul, and is providing medical support for about 1,500 people, including Jamboree scouts from the U.K. and Qatar.
The KUAH team, which consists of 12 members, including eight doctors, two nurses, and two support staff, will provide treatment from Tuesday to Friday.
The 12-member medical support team is composed of medical departments tailored to the scouts' conditions, such as dermatology and family medicine.
Gachon University Gil Medical Center will also provide all-around medical support to the Jamboree participants staying in Incheon.
Its team is divided into two and provides medical services from Monday to Friday for more than 600 Jamboree participants staying at the Incheon National University Songdo Campus and 300 Jamboree participants staying at the Golden Tulip Incheon Airport Hotel.
Pharmacists help Jamboree participants
The Korean Pharmaceutical Association and the Jeonbuk Branch of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association had also set up a pharmacy at the Jamboree site and conducted support activities for patient health.
KPA focused on taking care of the health of the participants by providing a variety of products, including a dextrose mixture with sodium chloride for fever, cold medicine, paste, skin ointment, and insect repellent. Specialized medicines were also dispensed in conjunction with medical clinics.
Pharmacists from 16 provincial branches, including the South Chungcheong Province branch, worked in shifts at the volunteer pharmacy.
The Gyeonggi Province Pharmacy Association has also budgeted 10 million won for the Jamboree members who were evacuated to Gyeonggi Province.
The money will be used to provide treatment support for more than 15,000 jamboree participants from 88 countries dispersed to 64 facilities in 21 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province.
Meanwhile, the closing ceremony of the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.