"Returning to Everyday Life"... The Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service Shares Stories of Overcoming Disabilities of Industrial Accident Workers

Successful Rehabilitation Treatment Case Presentation on the 15th

Introduction of Industrial Accident Medical Quality Improvement Cases

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (Director Park Jong-gil) held an event introducing moving cases of overcoming industrial accidents, including workers who collapsed and those who suffered physical injuries.

The Service announced that on the 15th, it held a presentation of outstanding rehabilitation cases of industrial accident workers to provide better rehabilitation services by sharing successful rehabilitation cases.

About 100 employees, including directors of 13 hospitals and clinics nationwide affiliated with the Service, participated in the presentation. Touching stories were introduced of workers who overcame despair and returned to work through specialized rehabilitation treatment at the Service’s directly managed hospitals and participation in workplace return support programs, such as a worker who collapsed due to cerebral hemorrhage and another who suffered finger amputation injuries after his hand was caught in a roller.

At the QI Activities and Rehabilitation Excellence Awards Ceremony, Chairman Park Jong-gil (4th from the left in the front row) and the awardees are smiling brightly.

In the case of industrial accident worker A, selected as an outstanding rehabilitation case, he lost consciousness and collapsed due to cerebral hemorrhage while perforating Styrofoam in November 2022. However, following a rehabilitation treatment plan involving rehabilitation medicine specialists, nurses, and physical therapists at the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Suncheon Hospital, he underwent customized intensive rehabilitation and work capacity enhancement training, successfully returning to his original workplace in August 2023.

A said that he felt overwhelmed by the sudden accident but gained confidence in recovery through rehabilitation treatment and psychological counseling at the Service’s hospital. He expressed happiness at being able to return to his original workplace by participating in the rehabilitation training process for workplace return.

Industrial accident worker B suffered finger amputation injuries in July 2022 when his glove got caught in a roller while checking a product. However, after undergoing customized intensive rehabilitation and work capacity enhancement training at the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Daegu Hospital, he successfully returned to his original workplace in October 2023.

B said he would actively recommend the one-on-one intensive rehabilitation treatment and work enhancement training, which were of great help to him, to other industrial accident patients.

Rehabilitation is a process that supports overcoming disabilities caused by accidents or diseases and enables a return to daily life. It is divided into medical rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational therapy for physical function recovery; psychological rehabilitation, which promotes psychological stability through counseling and education; and vocational social rehabilitation, which helps social adaptation through training and employment support.

At the event, presentations and awards were also held for outstanding cases related to quality improvement (QI) activities in medical services at the Service’s directly managed hospitals.

Outstanding cases included prevention of medication errors through FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) activities for proper medication administration, practicing carbon neutrality with low-carbon food to reduce carbon emissions, and revitalizing rehabilitation sports operation at outpatient rehabilitation centers by applying exercises such as Pilates to rehabilitation treatment.

Director Park Jong-gil said, “I thank all employees who produced meaningful results to improve the quality of medical services, including occupational and social return of industrial accident workers and patient safety,” and added, “The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service’s directly managed hospitals will do their best to ensure that industrial accident workers return to society healthily and fully protect their lives and workplaces.”

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service operates 10 hospitals nationwide to support the recovery of physical functions and safe occupational return of industrial accident workers, and operates three outpatient rehabilitation centers in Seoul, Busan, and Gwangju to improve access to rehabilitation treatment for industrial accident workers.

In January 2024, the Service plans to open Taebaek Nursing Hospital, the only long-term care hospital in the Taebaek area, expanding public medical services such as managing geriatric diseases for industrial accident workers in need of care and local residents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.