It has been reported that free flu vaccinations are being administered to residents in Hoeryeong, North Hamgyong Province, North Korea. However, it is said that ‘medical inequality’ is emerging, as such medical benefits are concentrated on residents of urban areas (dongs) in the city center, and residents of rural areas (ri) on the outskirts rarely have the opportunity to be vaccinated.
According to a Daily NK North Hamgyong Province source on the 15th, free flu vaccinations have been provided in Hoeryeong City since the middle of last month. However, it is said that due to a shortage of flu vaccines, a growing number of residents are excluded from vaccination.
A source said, “Depending on the source of the injectable drug (vaccine), we are vaccinating residents living in the city first. If we run out of the injectable drug while administering the injection, there is nowhere else to go, so only people in the outskirts of the city lose out.”
In fact, it is known that most residents of rural areas outside the city center of Hoeryeong have not received free vaccination benefits to date. The source explains that because the amount of vaccines distributed is not sufficient, residents in relatively rural areas are often excluded from vaccination.
The source said, “If there were enough injectable drugs, all residents in rural areas could get them, but currently, there is a shortage of injectable drugs themselves,” adding that the lack of medicine supply is the biggest cause of this medical inequality.
North Korea’s infectious disease vaccinations were regularly administered to all residents until the 1970s and 1980s, but such national medical support virtually ceased during the economic crisis in the 1990s.
In a situation where residents have become more sensitive to infectious disease prevention due to the COVID-19 incident, this free flu vaccination is being received positively, but it is pointed out that the benefits are not evenly reaching residents in rural areas.
The source said, “In fact, most people in rural areas do not know whether they are getting vaccinated against the flu, and only a few observant people are aware of this.” He added, “Those people go to their relatives’ houses in the city and go to their relatives’ houses. “Some people come after getting vaccinated,” he said.
In fact, a resident living in a rural area on the outskirts of Hoeryeong heard that free vaccinations were being offered in the city, so he headed to a relative’s house in the city to receive the benefits. It is said that he received the vaccination by pretending to be a person living there.
Originally, the principle was that vaccinations had to be administered at the place of residence according to resident registration, but some inminban leaders or doctors in charge of inminban are said to turn a blind eye to those who are close to people who are not residents of the inminban and allow them to receive flu vaccinations or give them injections.
However, this is said to be possible only if there are residents who cannot receive vaccination or refuse vaccination due to circumstances in the relevant People’s Unit.
The source said, “Residents in rural areas who found out about this situation later despaired of their situation living in a place where national medical care is not available,” and added, “They are dissatisfied with the lack of supply of injectable drugs and the fact that there are cases of people getting vaccinated through expedient methods, but they have no opinion on this. He said, “I am resigned because no solution is being put in place.”
Source: www.dailynk.com
