North Korea is conducting urgent health checkups for flood victims residing in Pyongyang, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking anonymously, a source in Pyongyang told Daily NK on Wednesday that “the North Korean authorities have been carrying out medical examinations of all the flood victims since Aug. 16 out of concern that some of the people currently staying at the Apr. 25 Hostel are in poor health.”
The Pyongyang Medical University Hospital and other major hospitals in the capital have been instructed to provide the checkups. Doctors are visiting the flood victims’ lodgings to administer the examinations, which will continue for 10 days.
“The government has ordered that all the flood victims receive thorough medical examinations since it is the responsibility of the party and government to take good care of them on this rare visit to the ‘revolutionary capital’ of Pyongyang,” the source said.
The checkups focus on infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis and skin conditions like scabies. The authorities view this as an opportunity to assess the overall health of provincial residents.
“The government noted the importance of quickly diagnosing and treating highly infectious diseases and instructed doctors to take immediate measures to prevent those diseases from becoming a serious health threat,” the source said. “The government has also asked doctors to swiftly deal with diarrhea or other digestive problems suffered by flood victims from poor areas whose bodies are unaccustomed to the rich foods they’re being served in Pyongyang.”
While the flood victims appreciated the authorities’ care, the source noted that they seemed frustrated by restrictions on their movements in Pyongyang.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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