Hundreds Of International Scout Jamboree Participants Undergo Treatment Due To Heat Waves, South Korea Increases Medical Personnel

Jambore Pramuka Internasional 2023. (Source: WSBureau Inc./JP POUTEAU)

JAKARTA - South Korea sent dozens of military doctors and nurses to help at the 25th international Scout Jamboree camp site which took place in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province on Thursday, after hundreds of teenage participants fell ill due to the heat wave that hit the country.

At least 600 Jamboree participants, which began on Tuesday, have so far been treated for heatwave-related illnesses, officials said.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered 30 military doctors and 60 nurses to go to the camp to deal with emergencies, his office said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs and Security Lee Sang-min called for more ambulances, shuttle buses and room conditioning to be alerted.

"Most of them experience mild symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness and nausea and all return to their campgrounds," a firefighter in North Jeolla Province, southwest of Seoul told reporters.

More than 43,000 participants, most of them are scout members between the ages of 14 and 17, attending the jamboree, the scout's first global meeting since the pandemic. They camped in a reclamation area where temperatures are expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius on Thursday.

The local government previously issued a heat warning in the last four years, as in some areas it can have temperatures of more than 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) this week.

Meanwhile, South Korea's weather agency predicts the heat wave will last until next week. Meanwhile, scout shows ended on August 12.

Meanwhile, the ministry that oversees the event's implementation said it was monitoring the weather to ensure the safety of the participants.