Bumin Hospital Group to support care for undocumented immigrant children
Bumin Hospital Group said Tuesday that it signed an agreement with the Center for Unregistered Children (UIC) on Aug. 12 to provide essential medical care for undocumented immigrant children.
The hospital group runs Seoul Bumin Hospital, Busan Bumin Hospital, Haeundae Bumin Hospital, and Gupo Bumin Hospital.
Undocumented immigrant children face significant challenges in accessing essential healthcare services, such as vaccinations and health check-ups for infants and young children, due to their ineligibility for national health insurance.
In response, Bumin Hospital Group, in collaboration with the Center for UIC, plans to offer essential medical services to these children, who are often left in a vulnerable position due to difficulties in obtaining health insurance or financial hardship.
According to a 2020 survey on undocumented immigrant childrens' health and needs by Shin Yoon-jeong, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), the number of undocumented immigrant children in Korea is estimated to range from at least 5,200 to over 20,000.
Notably, the survey found 32 out of 100 undocumented immigrants reported that their children needed medical care in the past year but were unable to receive it, with the majority citing financial burden as the primary reason.
"These children became undocumented through no fault of their own due to their parents' circumstances and now face discrimination and an unjust fate,” said Eun Hi-gon, chairman of the Center for UIC. “We will work to ensure that their basic right to health is protected through this partnership with Bumin Hospital Group."
"Providing medical support for undocumented immigrant children, who struggle to access essential healthcare, is crucial from a human rights perspective,” added Chung Hoon-jae, director of the Bumin Research Institute for Future Medicine. "We plan to actively support the protection and healthy upbringing of these children."