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Why is there a lack of supply of rehabilitation medicine despite the growing demand? This can be attributed to the tendency that existing hospitals avoid expanding facilities because rehabilitation medicine is not a profitable business because of its prolonged treatment period coupled with low medical fees. The severe shortage of rehabilitation facilities is a chronic problem, which causes enormous sufferings on the part of the patients. The absolute shortage of rehabilitation facilities is a chronic problem, which causes enormous sufferings on the part of the patients. In Korea, disability is still considered as a personal matter rather than the nation or society¡¯s responsibility. Therefore, if a family member suffers disability, the rest of the family members suffer as well.
There is at least a two month waiting period for hospitalization because of a long waiting list. In case a caregiver is hired to provide care to the challenged patients, the service costs are burdensome on families and patients themselves.To make things worse, when patients are discharged after two months¡¯ hospitalization, they have to search for another place for treatment. A disabled patient deserves good treatment in good environment, but our reality is a far cry from our wish. In a general hospital, a rehabilitation ward is always given cold shoulder. It seems difficult for them to have safe environment and resting places because frequent visitors, family members, carers as well as patients have to share limited space. Under these circumstances, privacy is not protected.
 
The Purme Foundation was conceived to offer hope in this gloomy picture.
We would like to build a patient-centered rehabilitation hospital in order to improve the rehabilitation medical service which has been neglected so long in the area of disability welfare. We plan to establish specialized rehabilitation medical facilities because this should be the primary service in disability welfare.
The first step in materializing this goal is to establish a model hospital, which will multiply into franchise rehabilitation hospitals across the nation with cooperation from the citizens and corporations.