N. Korean paper calls for improvement in healthcare amid coronavirus scare
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official newspaper on Tuesday called for beefed-up efforts to improve the country's health care system amid deepening concern over the new coronavirus that is spreading quickly across the world.
Pyongyang is making all-out efforts to prevent the virus entering the country. North Korea's weak medical infrastructure makes its people more susceptible to the highly contagious virus, which originated in neighboring China.
"Strengthening the material and technical foundation for the healthcare system will make it possible for us to put our socialist medical system on a par with those of other advanced nations as soon as possible and help our people enjoy better medical service," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, said.
"Without securing stable supply of medical goods and equipment, our medical workers will not be able to achieve good results from their treatment projects, nor will our people be able to feel many benefits in their lives," it added.
North Korea has boasted of its free health care system but the global outbreak of the new coronavirus is calling into question its ability to deal with a virus that has killed more than 1,000 people in China alone.
Pyongyang has not reported any confirmed cases of the new coronavirus but it has intensified its preventive efforts, including tightening its borders with China and strengthening quarantine for people arriving from the neighboring country.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
BTS member Jimin's 'hanbok' suit up for auction
-
BTS enters Billboard Hot 100 with new Japanese single
-
(LEAD) Seoul mayor pushes for introduction of self-testing kits, extending hours for small businesses
-
BLACKPINK amasses 60 mln subscribers on YouTube: agency
-
Drunk driver gets 8-yr prison term for hitting and killing Taiwanese student
-
Number of peak concurrent viewers on BTS online event surpasses 2.7 mln: agency
-
U.S. service member injured in stabbing, police searching for suspect
-
S. Korea to start vaccinations of care workers, airline crews
-
(LEAD) New virus cases back under 600 on fewer tests; stable vaccine rollout in focus
-
(4th LD) New virus cases in 600s for 4th day as sporadic infections continue