09-03-2010
By Bae Ji-sook
Sok Senghorth
An unregistered Cambodian worker, diagnosed with an intractable disease while working here, is stuck in limbo as he is unable to benefit from the state health insurance he desperately needs to cover the huge cost of an operation.
Doctors and civic activists in the southern port city of Busan are making efforts to help Sok Senghorth, 29, get a bone marrow transplant to fight the disease.
Kosin University Gospel Hospital said Sok was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in May. According to the Mayo Clinic’s definition, aplastic anemia is a condition that occurs when a person’s body stops producing enough new blood cells. The disease requires a bone marrow transplant in the most serious cases.
Sok needs to undergo this operation, but the cost could reach more than 100 million won ($83,000) without the benefit of the state health insurance policy. Even though doctors and civic groups are donating blood and money, it is not enough.
Sok arrived in Korea in 2006 as a factory worker in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, but soon left the workplace and wandered from one factory after another as an illegal alien.
While he was working more than 10 hours a day at an aluminum plant, he visited a free clinic for foreign workers and was informed of his illness. Because his stay in Korea is illegal, Sok was not allowed treatment at a domestic hospital or any welfare benefits.
Prof. Oh Moo-young of Inje University Medical Center sought to help him and requested Busan Immigration Center to issue him a G1 visa, which allows medical treatment here.
The Ministry of Justice canceled the millions of won in fines for his illegal stay, while Green Doctors, a Busan-based international medical charity group and the Gospel Hospital’s Dr. Kim Yang-soo arranged for treatment.
The 100 million won covers preparation for the surgery and post-surgical treatment, though Green Doctors said they would need extra funds to fly Sok’s twin sister over as a bone marrow donor.
The hospital said surgeons would perform the operation pro bono surgery if the National Health Insurance Corp. (NHIC) covered the basic fee. However, a G1 visa does not allow a foreigner to subscribe to the state health insurance.
The Busan medical charity organizers gathered Tuesday to draw out a plan for Sok but the immigration authorities and the NHIC reiterated that Sok doesn’t qualify for a visa revision nor subscribe to the insurance as he is unemployed, according Prof. Oh.
“He needs an operation. But we cannot perform it as the costs are too much without the insurance coverage,” Oh told The Korea Times. “With his G1 visa, he cannot subscribe to the health insurance policy, though he needs it badly.”
Oh said the immigration office and NHIC officials are also trying to help him but under current regulations, he is not entitled to insurance.
“So, we are contacting some lawmakers to clear the administrative hurdle. But they also seem to be busy with opening the new National Assembly session,” Oh said.
Oh said if Sok was allowed to subscribe to the insurance, the cost would go down to about 15 million won, and the hospital would treat him on the presumption that payment would be settled after treatment.
“We need more money and more attention. It will be a global embarrassment to turn against a sick person just because he is an unregistered patient,” he said.
An immigration official said, “We will make sure Sok does not get deported during his treatment. We will also see what we can do.”
The Shinpyungro Church, which Sok goes to every Sunday, has decided to pay for Sok’s sibling to come to Korea.
Civic group members and churchgoers are holding a nationwide campaign to help him. For more information, call (051) 607-0135.
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