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🇰🇷 South Korea /Health & Science

“Patients Beside Us, We Beside Patients”: New Campaign Seeks to Change Public Attitudes

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The Korea Patients’ Organization Network and the Korea Research-Based Pharmaceutical Industry Association launched the “Patients Beside Us, We Beside Patients” campaign.
  • The campaign will share patient stories through Instagram and promote listening, understanding and collective action.
  • A survey found that 60.3% of patients and family members had experienced at least one everyday difficulty or disadvantage, while only about one-third felt society provided sufficient support.

A new South Korean campaign is asking people to see patients not only as people receiving treatment, but as members of schools, workplaces, families and communities.

The Korea Patients’ Organization Network and the Korea Research-Based Pharmaceutical Industry Association, known as KRPIA, launched the joint “Patients Beside Us, We Beside Patients” campaign. Its slogan is “Listen, Understand, Act Together.” The organizers want to broaden public understanding of patients’ daily lives and challenge the prejudice and disadvantages they encounter.

The campaign’s first step is an Instagram account, @withpatients_kr. Organizers will collect and introduce real stories from patients of different ages and backgrounds through a feature called “Perhaps, Our Story.” They also plan calligraphy and transcription challenges to encourage public participation.

We must move beyond simply thinking that anyone can become a patient and support and stand with patients beside us so they can live without discrimination or disadvantage.

· Ahn Ki-jongThe Korea Patients’ Organization Network representative described the campaign’s goal of turning empathy into solidarity and action.

A survey conducted by the two organizations questioned 1,069 people, including 569 patients and family members and 500 members of the general public. Among patients and family members, 88.0% agreed that becoming a patient is a condition anyone can experience. The figure was 85.6% among the general public. More than 90% of patients and family members, and 86.4% of the public, agreed that illness can arrive without warning.

The survey also found that 60.3% of patients and family members had experienced at least one difficulty or disadvantage in daily life. The most commonly affected areas were external relationships and social life, at 40.2%, followed by work, hiring and promotion at 26.7%, and school or studies at 22.3%. Only 33.2% of patients and family members and 28.0% of the general public said society provides patients with enough support. The organizations said the campaign takes on added importance before the Patient Basic Act, enacted on April 28, comes into force on April 29 next year.

Patients are not merely people receiving treatment, but people like us who must protect their health and dignity in life.

· Lee Young-shinThe KRPIA vice chair emphasized a patient-centered approach and the importance of rights and safety.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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