North Koreans are told to drink an infusion of pine leaves and gargle with salt water. Previously, they did not buy all the necessary drugs in pharmacies, but now they are not even there anymore. The government is trying to fill the gaps as soon as possible. The relatives of the families living in the country emphasize that the situation in connection with the coronavirus epidemic is extremely worrying.
- North Korea has officially confirmed just 70 deaths
- However, “Fever” is spreading across the country, and the disease is reported in the millions. The country also lacks basic medical supplies
- Although the state-owned press agency KCNA reports that nearly 96 percent. people affected by the disease have recovered, relatives of their families living in the country have a completely different opinion. “I got the impression that it was really bad”
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The situation in North Korea is getting more and more serious. Since the end of April, the “fever of unidentified origin” has been spreading in the country. The first COVID-19 case was not confirmed until May 12, and only 70 fatalities were officially reported. In its statistics, however, North Korea indicates millions of cases … and healings. The latest information from the KCNA (North Korean state news agency) shows that from the end of April to the first of June 2022, the number of people with “fever” amounted to over 3 million 835 thousand. 420, of which over 3 million 669 thousand 950 (nearly 96%) recovered.
On May 24, the Pyongyang Times announced in its propaganda message that North Korea was making its first successes in the fight against the disease. The relatives of people staying in North Korea have a different opinion and emphasize that the situation in the country is extremely worrying. The authorities are also trying to fill significant shortfalls in medical resources as soon as possible.
The drugs aren’t even on the market anymore
The BBC contacted a man who fled North Korea alone 10 years ago. Currently, Kim Hwang-sun lives in the capital of South Korea – Seoul. She only has contact by phone with her 85-year-old mother, two children and grandchildren. This one, however, is not the easiest one. Hwang-sun knows he can’t ask too much, as every connection can be eavesdropped on. For this reason, his secret conversations with his family also last no longer than five minutes. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, contact with the family has become even more difficult.
— They told me that many people have fever. I got the impression that it was really bad. They said everyone was walking around and asking everyone they meet for medicine. Everyone is looking for something to lower their fever, but no one can find anything — so in an interview with the BBC, Hwang-sun described one of his last conversations with his family. Hwang-sun, however, did not dare to ask how many people die. As he explains, he is afraid that his family may be killed because the conversation about the deaths could be perceived as a criticism of the government.
Hospitals and pharmacies in North Korea have had no medications for years. Doctors write a prescription, and the patient’s job is to find the medications they need and buy them from someone who sells them directly at home or at a local market. If you need anesthesia for surgery, go to the market for it and bring it back to the hospital
— this is how Hwang-sun described the situation of the health service in North Korea in an interview with the BBC.
However, in an interview with his relatives, Hwang-sun learned that even the sellers no longer have the necessary preparations. According to family reports, the government instructed its citizens to boil pine needles and drink their concoction, and to gargle with salt water.
China comes to the rescue
The BBC also asked a doctor who has been working in North Korean villages since 2001 on behalf of the “Unicef” foundation for a comment. Dr. Nagi Shafik said drugs were already in short supply on his last visit to North Korea in 2019. — There were some, but very, very few — stressed the doctor.
Almost all drugs available in North Korea are imported from China, according to the BBC. However, due to the coronavirus epidemic, the borders have been closed for the last two years, which made it impossible to deliver drugs. However, the findings of the BBC show that although import has been possible since this year, and therefore continues to grow, there has been a sudden increase in imports of medical materials in recent months.
Chinese customs officials show that imports from North Korea to China doubled between March and April. Among other things, medicines and vaccines are imported. In April, North Korea also imported a thousand “respirators”, but in Chinese data the term may also refer to other, smaller types of oxygen devices. Nevertheless, according to Chinese customs data, it was the first batch of this type of equipment since the start of the pandemic. North Korea also bought more than nine million face masks between January and April, and no such purchases had previously been reported in this case. — results from the findings of the British station.
A BBC satellite image analysis shows that on May 24, three cargo planes from North Korea’s state-owned airline Air Koryo arrived at Pyongyang airport. Their dimensions correspond to the three planes seen at Shenyang Airport in China a few days earlier. One of the station’s sources also reported that on May 13, a large shipment of medical supplies arrived at Nampo Port, located south of Pyongyang.
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