Patients Speak Up Their Rights
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Civic groups launched a campaign Monday to raise social awareness regarding a patients right to receive quality medical service without discrimination.
The Health Right Network, Korea Health & Medical Workers' Union, Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society and 19 other civic groups designated this week as Patients' Rights Week, pledging to fight for the promotion of a patients' right to make decisions regarding their treatment.
``Everyone has a basic right to health care. However, in the real world, many people are not told the truth on their health status and do not receive appropriate treatment for various reasons, including financial difficulties,'' Kim Chang-bo, the head of the organization said. ``However, we say all those that are ill should be provided with the best quality treatment regardless of what they own or who they are,'' he added.
The groups made a 10-point declaration of patients' rights. Making up the declaration are demands that all patients should be treated equally and given access to any medical service they need; all patients have the right to make decisions regarding their treatment and to be kept informed at all times; and all patients are to be provided with the best service available for their health.
``If hospitals consider patients as a way of making profit, then many will not receive adequate treatment,'' Yang Hyung-jeong, representative of Korea Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours Patients' Association said.
The Patients' Rights Week was designated in memory of two patients who fought for their rights_ the late Kim Hyeong-ryul and the late Kim Sang-deuk. The former allegedly suffered from the after effects of the Hiroshima atomic bomb and the latter from leukemia. Both had talked about patient's rights being ignored and how patients should receive the best medicine available regardless of costs.
During the week, the groups will be premiering movies dealing with medical care systems, such as Sicko, and holding public debates and road campaigns in Daehagno, downtown Seoul.