culture

Every DPRK citizen has a doctor in charge. Such doctor is called household doctor.

Doctors in charge of households devote their sincerity to the health care of residents, while keeping up with their health.

The same is the case with the household doctors at the Inhung Polyclinic in Moranbong District, Pyongyang.

The clinic provides medical service in a more rational and efficient way by introducing an advanced information system for residents’ health care and enhancing the role of such doctors.

"The residents’ healthcare information system contains the data about all the inhabitants of Inhung-dong and Minhung-dong we are in charge of. The data shows whether they have chronic diseases and details the information about their viability and familial and genetic predispositions, vaccination, diagnosis, treatment, visits to the clinic, and doctors’ sick calls and treatment. It also describes in detail the illnesses inhabitants got in their childhoods, their taste and so on," said Ryang Sam Ok, head of the clinic.

Saying this information system is now very effective in the treatment of patients, she added that when any resident loses consciousness or suffers an accident and is transferred to any hospital and if his or her name is confirmed, his or her information is transmitted to the hospital to help treat the patient.

Household doctors use the system to acquaint themselves in detail with their residents and conduct regular medical check-ups and treatment activities, thus reducing the incidence of diseases.

They spend hectic days.

They carry out medical examinations and treatment of patients coming to the clinic, make sick calls for patients with chronic diseases and conduct hygienic information activities among the inhabitants.

When there is an emergency call, they rush to the family immediately to acquaint themselves with the conditions of the patient and give first aid or refer him or her to hospital.

Some days ago, when a 91-year-old war veteran Choe Yun Guk living in neighbourhood unit No. 76 in Inhung-dong No. 2, suddenly lost consciousness, household doctor Kim Jong Sim treated him with devotion for several days to restore him to health.

“Thanks to the socialist public health system, everyone receives sincere medical assistance from household doctors free of charge at all times,” said Choe, adding:

"Dr Kim Jong Sim calls on me almost every day to check my blood pressure or give me tonics. Through her, I feel deep gratitude toward the admirable health workers and our system."

According to Kim Un Sim living in neighbourhood unit No. 82 in Minhung-dong, when she and her husband went on a business trip, leaving her ailing mother at home, their household doctor visited their home almost every day to observe her health and when she was in a critical condition due to heart failure, the doctor brought her to hospital in time to enable her to receive medical assistance from heart specialists.

The inhabitants affectionately call their household doctors "our doctor" as they are devoted to the health care of the residents, especially war veterans, discharged officers, honoured disabled soldiers and expectant and nursing mothers.