It's okay. You're doing well.
On the morning of the 4th, three medical staff were performing a blood test on a disabled person, Mr. A, at Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. While one person drew blood from his arm with a syringe, two others gently held him to keep him from moving. Subsequently, a disabled person, Mr. B, also had his blood drawn while in a wheelchair. A representative from Seoul Medical Center noted, "If you move during the injection, it's hard to find the vein," adding, "We deployed additional medical staff for safety."
Seoul Medical Center, under the jurisdiction of Seoul City, conducted free health examinations for 16 individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, and epilepsy in collaboration with the public interest foundation, Purme Foundation. Examinations included physical checks, blood tests, urine tests, gastroscopy, and abdominal ultrasound scans.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that temporarily causes abnormal activity in brain nerve cells, leading to excessive excitement. Symptoms include loss of consciousness or seizures. This makes health examinations difficult. Seoul Medical Center stated, "We set aside a day to conduct health examinations for the improvement of health among people with disabilities."
Disabled individuals have a shorter average lifespan compared to non-disabled individuals. According to the National Rehabilitation Center's health statistics for people with disabilities, as of 2023, the average age of death for individuals with autism is 28.1 years, for those with intellectual disabilities is 57.8 years, and for those with mental disabilities is 63.9 years. The national average life expectancy is 83.5 years. Disabilities harm health, but another reason is that diseases cannot be detected in time due to lack of health examinations. The examination rates are 44.1% for those with mental disabilities, 52% for individuals with autism, and 54.8% for those with intellectual disabilities. The national average is 75.9%.
◇Doctor attaches a picture of Doraemon on X-ray machine for examination
Mr. C, who has an intellectual disability, underwent a gastroscopy that day. Medical staff moved Mr. C and took out the mouthpiece. When the patient wears the mouthpiece and opens their mouth, the endoscope is inserted. The attending medical staff noted, "It sometimes takes a few minutes to secure the mouthpiece," adding, "For those who lack muscle strength, keeping the body upright is also difficult, and as many as 4 to 5 medical staff may perform the endoscopy."
Mr. D, who has autism, underwent a chest X-ray. On the X-ray machine, a picture of the cartoon character "Doraemon" was attached. It was a consideration for the patient to keep still. The medical staff guided, "Just stand there for a moment while looking at Doraemon." A representative from Seoul Medical Center stated, "For patients who find it hard to stand, it's also possible to take X-rays while lying down," adding, "Regular X-rays are done from the front, but X-rays taken while lying down are done from above."
Seoul Medical Center is a designated health examination facility for disabled individuals by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Facilities have been set up throughout the Seoul Medical Center to allow individuals with disabilities to undergo health examinations more comfortably. A typical example is a weighing scale that can be used while in a wheelchair. When the patient in a wheelchair steps onto the scale, their weight is displayed. Here, the weight of the wheelchair is subtracted to calculate the patient's weight. In front of the scale, there was a "fall prevention notice" that read, "Secure the wheelchair wheels and measure weight. If the patient is unstable and moves a lot, please ask a nurse for help."
◇More personnel and time needed compared to non-disabled individuals
Lee Hyun-seok, the director of Seoul Medical Center, said, "Individuals with intellectual disabilities may exhibit unexpected behavior during health examinations due to their fear of unfamiliar environments," and added, "We pay attention to safety in such cases."
It is not easy for disabled individuals to undergo health examinations. From the hospital's perspective, it requires a lot of personnel and time, as well as special equipment. For example, to perform a chest X-ray while using a wheelchair, a special wheelchair that allows for a detachable backrest is necessary. The changing room must also have enough space for the wheelchair to turn around.
Despite this, there is no difference in the health examination fees paid to hospitals by the National Health Insurance Corporation for disabled and non-disabled individuals. However, hospitals designated as health examination facilities for disabled individuals can receive an additional 70,000 won from the National Health Insurance Corporation for examinations of severely disabled individuals. Director Lee stated, "Considering the personnel and time required, government-level interest is more needed."
Social worker Ms. Lee, 26, said, "For disabled individuals, even filling out a medical history form can be challenging," adding, "If a guardian is present, they can assist by reading the form, but for those living alone, this can be difficult as well." She mentioned, "It would be good to have simpler explanatory methods for disabled individuals."