Injured both hands, struggling to eat or bathe independently
Government caregiving support is insufficient, causing economic strain
Firefighters and police officers who suffered severe burns in a public bathhouse explosion in Busan are struggling due to inadequate support for nursing care costs, according to reports.
Firefighters and police officers who were injured while performing their duties are struggling with the issue of insufficient support for nursing care costs.
On the 14th, SBS reported the story of Firefighter Kang.
He suffered second-degree burns on his face, arms, and legs during a bathhouse explosion in Donggu, Busan, last September.
He has been hospitalized for over two months since the accident, but the government’s support for nursing care costs is so insufficient that he is feeling a financial burden.
Firefighter Kang, who injured both hands, needs nursing care as he finds it difficult to eat or wash by himself, but he is unable to hire a caregiver.
According to the Public Officials Injury Compensation Act, the nursing care support he can receive is 55,950 won ($47) daily. Still, it costs 150,000 won ($126) per day to hire a caregiver, so he has to pay the remaining amount out of his own pocket.
Firefighter Kang has four children: a high school senior and an elementary school student.
He said, “My wife can’t care for the kids because she has to look after me, and I feel most sorry for that.”
A total of 23 people were injured in the accident that Firefighter Kang was involved in, including 10 firefighters and 3 police officers.
At the time, Officer Kim suffered burns that fused her hands, but her fellow officers raised funds to help her. Only after the Chief of Police stepped in and promised to support her treatment and nursing care costs fully she could alleviate her financial burden.
The standard for nursing care support under the Public Officials Injury Compensation Act has not changed since its amendment in 2010.
Earlier on the 9th, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the 61st Fire Day commemoration and promised active government support for the safety and welfare of firefighters.
In his speech, President Yoon said, “I am always grateful for your dedication to the lives and safety of our citizens,” and “I pay my respects to the firefighters who sacrificed their lives to protect the lives of our citizens until the last moment.”
He also paid tribute to the late Fire Lieutenant Lee Hyung Seok, Fire Captain Park Soo Dong, and Fire Instructor Jo Woo Chan, who rushed into a large fire at the construction site of a cold storage warehouse in Pyeongtaek last January, and to the late Fire Instructor Sung Seong Il, who jumped into the flames to save the last life in a house fire in March this year.
President Yoon said, “The government will make more efforts not only for the safety of the people but also for the safety of you, our firefighters,” and “We will actively support the establishment of the National Fire Hospital and the Fire Mental Training Center to heal severe burns and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suffered by firefighters.”
He also said, “Please focus only on the safety of the people,” and “The government will actively support you to devote yourself to the mission given to you.”
Since taking office, President Yoon has expanded the basic salary to the level of public security officials and significantly increased rescue and emergency activity costs, saying, “Now, we will significantly upgrade the rank of local fire commanders to the level of police officers to establish command authority at disaster sites.”
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