Over 850 medical professionals and administrative officials from the private sector have volunteered to serve in Daegu, the government announced Friday.

“Having recruited medical professionals to volunteer to work in the Daegu area from the 24th of this month, 853 have volunteered as of 9 a.m. today,” Kim Gang-lip, vice health minister, said Friday. Kim also serves on the government’s central response team.

By profession, the volunteers consist of 58 doctors, 257 nurses, 201 nurse’s aides and 110 clinical laboratory technicians, and 90 individuals trained in hospital administration and other related fields.

The number of doctors volunteering has more than doubled from the previous day, when the figure came to 24.

Kim, urged medical professionals to volunteer, saying they would be given sufficient financial compensation and the government would take other measures to recognize their work.

Volunteers will be given two weeks of paid leave after working in the area for two weeks, and the financial compensation for private sector individuals will be higher than that given during the MERS outbreak in 2015.

During the MERS outbreak in 2015, doctors were compensated between 450,000 won ($370) and 550,000 won per day.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)