 |
| Through this order, North Korean authorities appear to be passing on the responsibility for solving the shortage of medicines onto hospitals.(Photo by=Daily NK) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자]
North Korea is attempting to resolve a dire shortage of medicines by ordering hospitals to begin manufacturing their own medications, Daily NK has learned.
“At the end of May, the Ministry of Public Health issued an order to hospitals in each province, city and county to manufacture their own medicines,” a source told Daily NK on July 2. “With no facilities to produce medicine, there have been complaints that carrying out the order is impossible.”
North Korea has tried to improve its medicine production by modernizing the Mannyon Pharmaceuticals Factory and Tosong Pharmaceuticals Factory, but these efforts have not been enough to prevent medicine shortages. As a result, the country remains highly reliant on imported medicines. The closure of the Sino-North Korean border in late January has led to severe shortages of medicines, and the prices of antibiotics, for example, have been skyrocketing.
North Korean hospitals will likely continue to focus on manufacturing “Koryo medicines” rather than Western medicines to meet quotas outlined in the order, according to the source. Koryo medicine is similar to the “Oriental medicine” prevalent in South Korea and uses medicinal herbs available in the country. North Korean authorities are actively encouraging the production of Koryo medicines as well.
