Survivors of Yeosu fire, suffering trauma, fight for mental health treatment

Posted on : 2007-04-16 15:39 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Gov’t disagrees with psychiatrist’s evaluation, refuses immigrants compensation or treatment

Muhammad, 29, looked haggard when the Hankyoreh met him on April 12. Earlier this month, Muhammad, who came from Iran to look for work in Korea, tried to commit suicide by hanging himself with a towel in the bathroom of an immigration detention center in Cheongju, 137 kilometers south of Seoul. This was after he could not bring himself to eat for three days.

The reason was fear. Muhammad had been among those in custody the February night a fire swept through the immigration detention center in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, killing ten foreigners. Muhammad was one of the 28 to escape with minor injuries; in his case, he only received a two-minute examination of his esophagus and blood pressure.

After the fire, Muhammed was moved to the Cheongju detention center, but has been suffering from nightmares ever since. He has barely eaten or slept. One morning, he woke up with a start and shouted, "People are dying! Open the door!" He kicked at the door and shattered a window with his fist before he realized where he was.

Of the 28 that avoided serious injury in the fire, 21 have returned home. But the seven survivors that remained, placed in the Cheongju detention center, had asked for further treatment. A joint government committee formed to deal with the aftermath of the Yeosu fire called in a psychiatrist to examine them and found that five of the seven - Muhammed included - were suffering from serious emotional trauma. On April 6, the Ministry of Justice released them from the detention center for one month so that they could receive treatment.

According to the doctor’s examination documents, they were suffering from headache and dizziness, bronchial pain and difficulty in breathing, amnesia, and numbness of the hands and feet. In addition, some of them were suffering from depression, inability to concentrate, and a strong fear of dying.

The psychiatrist, identified by his surname Kim, said, "I can’t rule out the possibility that their mental illness could be worsened by being kept in an environment similar to the one where they experienced their trauma. As for their amnesia and depression, they need appropriate mental and medical treatment."

But Cheon Seung-u, an official at the Ministry of Justice, said that the ministry would not compensate the survivors or allow them to receive treatment at the expense of the government. "A psychiatrist appointed by the justice ministry expressed the opinion that the joint committee psychiatrist couldn’t form an opinion about whether the men were suffering from trauma after only one or two visits with them," Cheon said.

Sungkyunkwan University’s medical professor Yoon Se-chang disagreed, saying, “Their symptoms are typically categorized as trauma stress, and diagnosis of this can be possible without meeting the patients multiple times."

Asan Hospital’s professor Hong Jin-pyo said, "There is a possibility that patients could overstate their symptoms, but in any case these survivors most likely need more than two months of treatment to heal their amnesia and anxiety."

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

Most viewed articles