"IV fluids in beer bottles, needles reused until rusted"… Dire North Korean Medical Capacity

Cumulative Number of Fever Cases in North Korea Reaches Approximately 1,213,550 as of the Previous Day

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is wearing a mask. / Photo by Korean Central TV, Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Amid a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases in North Korea, concerns are rising that the situation could become virtually uncontrollable due to the country's poor medical capacity.

On the 15th (local time), US-based CNN cited the Korean Central News Agency, reporting, "Considering the world's most vulnerable public health system and the fact that most residents have not been vaccinated, the situation is worrisome," adding, "It is difficult to estimate the actual situation."

British broadcaster BBC also emphasized that while South Korea has conducted 172 million COVID-19 tests, North Korea has only performed 64,000 tests, stating, "There is genuine concern about how many people might die."

CNN referred to the North Korean famine in the 1990s, which is estimated to have caused 2 million deaths, saying, "North Korea did not disclose how many people died at that time," and added, "The outbreak of COVID-19 in North Korea is a disaster."

Ryu Young-chul, an official of the North Korean State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command, appeared on Korean Central TV on the 16th to report the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and fever patients in each region as of 6 p.m. on the 14th. / Photo by Korean Central TV

In particular, the media expressed concerns that the impact could be even greater considering North Korea's poor medical system.

BBC reported testimonies from defectors stating that intravenous fluids are stored in beer bottles and needles are reused until they rust. Baek Ji-eun, founder of the North Korean human rights organization Lumen, said, "Except for the 2 million residents of Pyongyang, the medical environment for most residents is extremely poor," adding, "It is unimaginable how scarce masks and disinfectants are."

Choi Jeong-hoon, a surgeon who defected from North Korea in 2011, recalled the measles epidemic in 2006 and 2007, stating, "North Korea lacks the resources for continuous quarantine and isolation," and "Guidelines requiring patients with symptoms to be transported to hospitals or isolated are not followed in North Korea."

In a 2020 interview with CNN, he said, "If sufficient food is not provided at hospitals or isolation facilities, people escape to find food."

Despite these circumstances, North Korea is reported to have rejected vaccine support offers from China and the World Health Organization (WHO). Professor Owen Miller of the University of London analyzed, "North Korea desperately needs support, but like in the 1990s, if multiple relief organizations enter the country, they may refuse aid due to concerns about political instability."

Meanwhile, since North Korea began reporting COVID-19 statistics at the end of April, the cumulative number of people with fever symptoms as of the previous day (15th) is approximately 1,213,550.