{"id":4797,"date":"2020-12-23T17:41:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T08:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4797"},"modified":"2022-05-16T18:01:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T09:01:09","slug":"missing-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/12\/society-economy\/missing-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Missing Medicine: Country on Verge of \"Medical System Collapse\" due to Rapid Depletion and Blocked Imports of Drugs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Amoxicillin, a drug brought in by international organizations was being sold in the markets after being stolen from the hospital. At present, there are not even drugs to be stolen from the hospitals. Photographed in October 2014 by ASIAPRESS<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6In addition to the depletion of Chinese products, there is a ban on aid goods being delivered<\/h2>\n

\u201cWhat am I most in need of right now? Medicines, of course. Because I can't find medicine anywhere,<\/span>\u201d a woman living in North Pyongan Province, North Korea, said. It has been 11 months since Kim Jong-un blocked the Chinese border to prevent the influx of coronavirus. With imports of Chinese products almost at a halt, many people say that the most serious problem is the shortage of Chinese medicine. As such, ASIAPRESS researched the matter in North Pyongan Province and Ryanggang Province. (Kang Ji-won<\/strong><\/em>)<\/p>\n

The trade statistics released by China\u2019s customs authorities at the end of November were shocking. The total value of imports and exports between North Korea and China in October was US$1,659,000, which was 99.4% down from the same period last year, and the value of North Korean imports was only US$253,000 (down 99.9%).<\/p>\n

The drop in trade, which has been ongoing since February, has become more noticeable since August. The likely reason is that the government has tightened import controls to guard against an influx of coronavirus, and imports have become impossible due to a shortage of foreign currency.<\/p>\n

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Domestically-produced penicillin. It is said that the shortage of drugs is so severe that fake drugs are being distributed. Photographed in North Korea in April 2015 by ASIAPRESS<\/p><\/div>\n

While there is a shortage of all kinds of Chinese products, the depletion of medical supplies is having a serious impact on the lives of the residents. A reporting partner from Ryanggang Province described the current situation as follows:
\n\u201cThere\u2019s no use going to the hospital when you\u2019re injured or sick. It\u2019s cold outside and the hospital doesn\u2019t have any medicine in stock, so they can\u2019t treat you.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

A medical professional explained to a reporting partner that the following Chinese-made drugs are in very short supply. They are almost impossible to obtain and are not sold anywhere.
\n\u25cf Amoxicillin (antibiotic, used for bronchitis)
\n\u25cf Metronidazole (antibacterial, effective against infections, often used in gynecology)
\n\u25cf Cefotaxime (antibiotic, used for infections)
\n\u25cf Cephalosporin antibiotics (effective against colitis, typhoid, etc.)<\/p>\n

In addition, according to the reporting partner, Chinese-made mass-market painkillers, various intravenous drugs, cold medicines, and poultices have also disappeared from hospitals and pharmacies.<\/p>\n

\u201cCold medicine and painkillers are sold one tablet at a time on the black market; they used to cost 300 won, but now they are five to seven times more expensive. Even so, they are hard to get,<\/span>\u201d said a reporting partner. (100 won is about US$0.03) Furthermore, \u201cimports from China have been halted, and theft by hospital personnel is no longer possible,<\/span>\u2019 he said.
\nNextPage: \u25c6Even the few domestic medicines... <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6Even the few domestic medicines are riddled with fake products<\/h2>\n

So, what about domestically produced medicines?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a few medicines, aspirin (painkiller) and amoxicillin (an antibiotic often used in North Korea for bronchitis and colds), which are manufactured in North Korea. However, since there are so many fake medicines, people rarely take them,<\/span>\u201d said another reporting partner.<\/p>\n

Therefore, even the hospital recommends people try folk remedies when they get sick, because that\u2019s the only thing people can do at the moment. People drink tea made from wolfberry and goji berry as a cold medicine. Acupuncture treatments by skilled residents are very popular and cost 5,000 won (US$1.73) per session.<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Delivery of International Aid\u2019s Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs Refused<\/h2>\n

On November 14, Science magazine published an article about an international aid group\u2019s attempt to send anti-tuberculosis drugs to North Korea, and the authorities\u2019 refusal or inability to accept them. South Korean media is now reporting on the matter too.<\/p>\n

In addition, US$400,000 worth of anti-tuberculosis drugs prepared by aid groups are stuck in a container in India. The report by Science also included comments from an expert, saying that the anti-tuberculosis drugs must have almost expired by now.<\/p>\n

Since tuberculosis causes symptoms similar to COVID-19, such as cough, phlegm, and fever, people in North Korea are strictly quarantined at home in accordance with the quarantine authorities' policy of \"quarantining those under suspicion.\u201d A local collaborator explained the situation in North Pyongan Province as follows.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are currently quarantined without treatment and medicine. Although there have been many cases of patients dying during quarantine, we don't know if they died of COVID-19 or tuberculosis. The authorities say that they died of tuberculosis.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Even after a person dies, regulations over the corpse of the deceased are very strict.
\n\u201cIf a family member dies in quarantine, a car will come from the crematorium and take them away. We are not allowed to receive the remains and they will be kept at the crematorium. Many people used to scatter their ashes in the mountains or rivers after the funeral, but this is now strictly prohibited,<\/span>\u201d said a reporting partner from Ryanggang Province.<\/p>\n

Restricting the importation of relief supplies and medicines is obviously an excessive measure to deal with COVID-19. The possibility that this will lead to an increase in the number of people dying from diseases other than COVID-19 is particularly concerning.<\/p>\n

\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n

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