North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered officials to provide care for displaced flood victims who have arrived in Pyongyang following the completion of emergency health screenings. The checks, which were completed on Aug. 26, revealed that 46% of the displaced people suffered from communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, latent tuberculosis, pleurisy and hepatitis, a source in Pyongyang told The Daily NK recently.
In response to the results, the Ministry of Public Health of the Cabinet drew up a plan to transfer all those suffering from these diseases to Pyongyang Tuberculosis Hospital No. 3 and other hospitals. However, the plan was canceled after Kim issued his order.
In the order, Kim told officials to leave the displaced people in the shelters where they currently live and allow them to continue to enjoy the same cultural benefits and daily life as Pyongyang residents, enabling them to tour the city, watch television and read books.
The directive included instructions to send only patients with severe communicative disorders or who are seriously ill to specialized hospitals for treatment in isolation. As for the rest, they are to be divided by floor in their residences so that they can be “kindly” cared for by doctors.
In particular, Kim urged officials to ensure that hospitals have 24-hour electricity during the treatment of displaced patients so that they can watch television, and to provide patients with various books to read.
People “very happy” about kind treatment
The essence of Kim’s instruction was that patients far from their hometowns and families should be made as comfortable as possible so that they do not feel a void in their treatment and are not psychologically disturbed.
Accordingly, some displaced people have been transported to hospitals for treatment, and officials in relevant sectors are taking personal care of them to ensure that they receive the various benefits Kim mentioned.
“The displaced people, who are receiving such treatment for the first time in their lives, are very happy,” the source said. “They keep expressing their gratitude to the supreme leader, deeply moved by the benefits and consideration they have received every day and every moment since coming to Pyongyang.”