There are two large hospitals under construction in the Taedong River district of Pyongyang. We recently looked at the progress of construction at two hospitals using satellite images. The exterior of Pyongyang General Hospital, which began construction in March 2020 under Kim Jong-un’s special instructions, has been completed, but its opening has been delayed for several years due to financial problems such as procurement of medical equipment and hospital equipment. one side, Satellite photos show that construction of the Pyongyang Heart Hospital, which Seoul’s Yoido Full Gospel Church began in December 2007, was abandoned for about 10 years after being halted in 2010, with construction resuming at the end of last year.
◆Pyongyang General Hospital opening postponed indefinitely
Pyongyang General Hospital, located in Okryu 3-dong, Taedonggang District, Pyongyang City, is a hospital affiliated with the North Korean Red Cross and can be said to be Kim Jong-un’s ambitious project. Construction began on March 17, 2020 under Kim Jong-un’s special instructions, and until the second half of 2024, 4 years and 6 months later, the hospital has not yet opened due to difficulties in importing medical equipment. The exterior framing work has been completed, and a rooftop garden, exterior landscaping, and tree planting have been completed on the 6.1ha site, but it is known that interior construction is sluggish and difficulties are being encountered in providing hospital facilities. They say they can’t open a hospital due to problems with procurement of hospital equipment because they can’t bring in medical equipment because they don’t have money.
In relation to this, some friendly countries have expressed their intention to supply hospital equipment, but there are claims that North Korea is unable to resolve the issue of equipment procurement by imposing conditions such as free support or repayment after introduction.
Meanwhile, the possibility of Russian support is also raised. At the North Korea-Russia summit in Pyongyang in June 2024, President Putin reportedly called the Russian Minister of Health and introduced him to Kim Jong-un, saying that Russian medical facilities would help build Pyongyang General Hospital. It appears that North Korea is probably trying to import hospital equipment from Russia. At the North Korea-Russia summit, the two countries signed a medical agreement, and prior to this, it was reported that North Korea’s health minister visited Russia for about a week in April to discuss entrusted training for North Korean medical students and retraining of doctors. This is the background to speculation that medical equipment and instruments from developed countries may be imported through Russia.
◆Pyongyang Heart Hospital construction resumes
Pyongyang Heart Hospital is located in Dongmun 2-dong, Taedong River District, Pyongyang City, and construction began in late 2007 with the goal of completion in June 2010 by Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul. After the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000, Yoido Full Gospel Church accepted the proposal of then-President Kim Dae-jung, and construction of the Pyongyang Heart Hospital began in earnest. The site is approximately 1.95 ha, and construction was carried out with 260 beds on one underground floor and seven above-ground floors. However, the bankruptcy of the construction company and the sinking of the Cheonan in March 2010 strained inter-Korean relations, and the construction of the Pyongyang Heart Hospital was halted due to the aftermath of the May 24th Measures. After 12 years, construction was approved to resume in 2022, and construction has now resumed.
Satellite photos show that the concrete exterior of the hospital building has been completed, and construction of an annex building has begun on the vacant lot west of the main building, 14 years after construction was halted. Construction work has been identified in the vacant lot next to the hospital’s main building, with partitions and walls being raised following floor foundation work for construction, and construction is understood to have been resumed from the end of 2023. Yoido Full Gospel Church said that it aims to be completed within 2024, but considering the surrounding environmental landscaping, hospital interior construction, and facility introduction and installation along with facility construction, it seems difficult to complete within this year.
◆Importance of maintenance after hospital completion and opening
In a state-of-the-art hospital equipped with advanced medical equipment and state-of-the-art facilities, subsequent operation and maintenance can actually be considered more important. Continuous inspection and maintenance, including facility repairs, introduction of essential equipment, and supply of consumables, must be carried out consistently. If management is neglected at any time due to lack of funds or other reasons, there may be concerns that the facility will deteriorate over time and become a ‘ghost hospital’ with only the shell of the building remaining. As is customary, the North Korean authorities can ask the South to open their hands to hospital operations and everything else, and there is also a possibility that they may consider this as a natural right. If the situation develops that way, our southern church foundation may have to take unlimited responsibility for maintenance.
Source: www.dailynk.com
