Recent incidents such as the factory explosion in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, wildfires in Yeongyang County and Andong City, North Gyeongsang Province, and an apartment fire in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, have led to numerous fire and explosion accidents. When major accidents occur, many patients suffer severe skin damage from burns.

Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital is the only burn-specialized hospital designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare among university hospitals in Korea. For patients suffering from severe burns due to fires and explosions, receiving treatment here is a beacon of hope. The hospital has established the largest hyperbaric oxygen therapy center and a robotic rehabilitation center in the country, completing a holistic treatment system that aids not only in acute phase treatment but also in the patient's return to daily life.

● Establishment of a Systematic Specialized Burn Treatment Collaboration System

Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital's Burn Center conducts over 2,700 burn surgeries annually. From 2019 to 2024, it has treated 122,000 outpatients and 177,000 inpatients, making it the largest in scale in the country. While hospitals specializing in burn treatment exist, most focus on surgery and plastic surgery, with only a few capable of providing integrated care.

The Burn Center is notable for its multidisciplinary collaboration in burn integrated treatment, involving medical staff from various departments such as burn surgery, plastic surgery, rehabilitation medicine, and psychiatry. In particular, collaboration with psychiatry addresses post-traumatic stress disorder that can result from burns. Huh Jun, Director of Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, stated, “Severe burns are a complex disease that causes systemic issues beyond skin damage,” and “We provide optimal personalized treatment through the country's only integrated burn treatment system.”

● The Largest Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center in Korea Aiding in 'Minimizing Sequelae'
When burn patients suffer significant sequelae, returning to society becomes challenging. The best way to minimize sequelae is to aid the healing of the burn area. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used for this purpose, where 100% oxygen is inhaled in a high-pressure environment of 2-4 atmospheres through a mask. This reduces inflammation and promotes tissue recovery and vascular generation.

Opened in July 2023, Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital's Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center features the largest 36-person chamber system in the country. It has expanded its scope to treat not only acute burn injuries but also complex diseases such as diabetic foot ulcers and refractory osteomyelitis, surpassing 10,000 treatments within two years of opening.

Additionally, to aid burn patients' recovery and prompt return to daily life, the hospital actively utilizes robotic rehabilitation therapy systems. Patients with deep tissue damage, including tendons and nerves, from high-voltage electrical burns face significant difficulties in daily activities such as walking due to joint contractures and hypertrophic scars (a condition where the skin becomes hard and thick). Systematic rehabilitation treatment using walking assistive robots helps restore patients' muscle strength and lower limb function.

This patient-centered medical service has also been recognized externally. Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital ranked first nationwide in the 4th National Patient Experience Evaluation, proving that it provides medical services prioritizing patients throughout the treatment process.

Director Huh stated, “Burn treatment is structured in a way that does not generate profit, but we are doing our best to uphold social responsibility and public interest as a burn-specialized university hospital,” and “Based on half a century of burn treatment experience, we will continue to innovate to become the best burn-specialized hospital that goes beyond simple disease treatment to restore health and happiness.”

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