Disability-Friendly Ceneral Medical Examination Program
What is Disability-friendly General Medical Examination?
Disability-friendly General Medical Examination is based on the 「Act on Guarantee of Right to Health and Access to Medical Services for Persons with Disabilities」 that was enforced on December 30, 2017. It is intended to increase accessibility for persons with disabilities to state general medical examinations for early detection of illness.
Disability-friendly General Medical Examination provides support services that consider disability characteristics so that persons with disabilities can safely and conveniently receive state general medical examinations, including general examinations and cancer examinations.
Beneficiaries of Disability-friendly General Medical Examination
Any registered person of disabilities is entitled to receive disability-friendly general medical examinations.
However, only persons with severe disabilities(previously falling under 1st through 3rd grades) are subject to services such as support for general medical examinations provided by disability-friendly medical examination institutions for persons with disabilities. In such cases, the certificate of person with disability must be presented in person.
Support service for persons with disabilities of Disability-friendly General Medical Examination
Disability-friendly medical examinations services, which have been devised based on the Act on the Health Rights of Persons with Disabilities, outline the following items as ways to improve physical and psychological access to aforementioned institutions in consideration of each type of disability.
- Guide workers assist persons with disabilities with communication and mobility in order to complete the medical examination safely.
- A guide system has been established for persons with visual and/or auditory impairment.
- Amenities have been installed to ensure the safe and unimpeded movement of persons with disabilities.
- Universal-design medical equipment and devices for examinations are available for persons with disabilities.
- Close attention is paid to examination time, physical position, and examination procedure in order to reduce the burden on persons with disabilities.
- In case of unavoidable circumstances, the medical examination shall not be carried out by force.
Current status of Disability-friendly General Medical Examination Institutions
The Ministry of Healthcare and Welfare initially designated eight medical institutions as disability-friendly medical examination institutions as of August 2018, following a separate process of open call and selection among medical institutions that perform general medical examinations, cancer screening and oral examinations under the Framework Act on Health Examination. In 2019, nine medical institutions have been additionally designated, including Busan Medical Center.
According to the 5th Comperhensive Policy Plan for People with Disabilities, the number of disability-friendly medical examination institutions will gradually increase to 100 by 2021. The expansion of such medical institutions will contribute to the prevention, early detection and diagnosis of diseases through general medical examinations performed in a safer and more convenient environment.
※ The number of designated hospitals is scheduled to gradually increase to 100 from 2018 top 2021
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8 places
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16 places
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70 places
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100 places
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