Seoul City on Sunday said the central government should take control over Samsung Medical Center, which has so far been hit the hardest by Middle East respiratory syndrome.

Mayor Park Won-soon held a countermeasures meeting in the morning and said, “A joint investigation team comprising the Health and Welfare Ministry, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and civic experts should be launched.”

Pointing out that the hospital in southern Seoul was largely excluded from the government’s control which thereby resulted in “a disaster,” Park said that it is no longer appropriate to leave relevant decisions to be made by the hospital on its own.

As of Sunday morning, a total of 145 patients have been confirmed with MERS, of which 72 were infected at Samsung Medical Center. They include an outpatient and a person who accompanied an outpatient. On Saturday, the hospital decided to partially shut down as the number of casualties from the hospital including paramedics continued to surge.

Park added that the city has also requested the hospital to present detailed information of its internal investigation, records of the past routes taken by the ambulance team and the workforce statistics of ambulance workers who are hired as irregular employees.

The city, meanwhile, said that 1,565 citizens who were on isolated watch after coming in contact with the 35th patient, who is a doctor at Samsung Medical Center, have been released from the list as of Saturday. None were proven infected.

Park had come to the fore in the MERS fight by holding an impromptu press conference on June 4 revealing that the doctor had attended a large-scale event despite having shown symptoms of MERS, denouncing the government for withholding information from the public and the municipalities.

The doctor, who had slammed the mayor for publicizing incorrect information and witch-hunting in an interview, is currently still receiving treatment.

Park, who later apologized to the doctor and wished for his recovery, said the city will now help those who are released get back to their daily lives such as by providing emergency allowance.

The city on Saturday went ahead with the scheduled recruitment exam to elect its public officials despite concerns of a large group of people potentially being exposed to the virus. A total of 130,033 had applied to take the test and 77,192 turned up at the exams conducted at 155 schools and 121 different test sites.

One MERS suspect was caught trying to enter the exam venue and was sent to a hospital. The person has so far been tested negative for MERS infection.

“It is a relief that the exam was conducted without any accident and it showed how with the cooperation of the government, Seoul City and the media, we can safely manage the everyday lives,” Park said.

From news reports (khnews@heraldcorp.com)