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| I went on a medical mission to North Korea – any questions for me? | I went on a medical mission to North Korea – any questions for me? |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| 1.28pm BST13:28 | |
| The health of the nation | |
| Via email, Enedelia Obregón asks: why is it a common sight to see people bent-double? | |
| You may have seen other photos of North Koreans bent over, probablyof older women. | |
| The reasons two-fold: transportation and farming equipment are rather scarce in the rural areas. I saw very few vehicles on the road outside of Pyongyang, and the ones I saw were military convoys. Farmers/workers who traveled to the fields daily have to walk or bike miles up steep mountainous roads. Most of these workers are women, and elderly women at that, probably because many men are conscripted in the military. They have to carry back bundles of crops on their backs for miles, which permanently disfigures them. | |
| Updated at 1.29pm BST | |
| 1.22pm BST13:22 | |
| More on sanctions | |
| Given that the lack of resources is engendered by sanctions, does that harden attitudes to the west among staff and patients? | |
| It’s a two-way street. Though doctors are not able to voice their own opinions of the government’s assistance to health care, they do drop hints every now and then of the austere conditions they must endure to provide aid. | |
| Health care funding has been dramatically cut in the recent decades, with these funds being allocated to other sectors in the government – primarily to sustain the military. The west alone is not blamed for the deficiencies, and they are aware of the imbalance that exists within their nation. | |
| 1.20pm BST13:20 | |
| Student doctors | |
| How would you compare your level of experience and knowledge as a Student Doctor to those working in North Korea? Thanks. | |
| North Korea mass produces doctors that may not receive the adequate training or proper education that can sustain them in their practices. Certainly, beyond education and training, they are not sufficiently provided with the proper equipment and resources to properly treat patients (this does not attest to the personal characters of the North Korean doctors, who are kind and committed health care professionals.) | |
| From my interaction with students, ( the bestin the country), they seemed to possess an extensive knowledge in medicine and science and the world. | |
| They were proficient in English and other languages, and I was able to converse with some in Russian (I am fluent). Some things they did not appear to know , though I’m not sure if this is attributed to deficiency of knowledge or language barriers. | |
| Many older North Korean doctors have been trained in Eastern Europe or Russia or neighbouring countries like China or Japan They do have the right training and are skilled in what they do. However, because they remain closed to leading medical nations like the US or other countries in the West, they are unexposed to new techniques and equipment available to other nations. | |
| 1.08pm BST13:08 | |
| Bedside manner | |
| What was the most moving event that you experienced? Were you able to get an insight into their lives, families and backgrounds, or was the discussion limited to symptoms and treatment? | |
| Good question! There were several poignant and profound moments. Our team made history in that we set up the first medical student conference between North Korean and international medical students. | |
| I spoke with 45 North Koreans who were, surprisingly, proficient in English. We had an opportunity to speak for about an hour and a half unburdened by the presence of authoritarian figures. There was laughter and mirth in those conversations, as both sides were able to clear up a lot of ridiculous misconceptions of each other’s nations. | |
| The students were incredibly hospitable and cordial. They provided the best food that they could and even prepared about half an hour’s worth of singing and musical performances for us. Afterwards, we played an intense game of volleyball, where after each volley, they gave me a hug. | |
| Probably the more sorrowful feelings came from seeing the village life outside of Pyongyang and the plight of those livings in the more impoverished, rural areas. | |
| And the most dramatic instances were in the hallways of the hospital for the common citizens. I cannot go into too much detail, but this was definitely the most memorable and, dare I say, traumatic instance that I’ve seen in my life. | |
| Updated at 1.10pm BST | |
| 1.04pm BST13:04 | |
| Are sanctions justified? | |
| To what extent do sanctions have an impact on the healthcare system? I've seen medical missions arriving with large quantities of equipment and supplies, and assume that this is part of their contribution. | |
| Sanctions are controversial and North Korea has suffered under the embargoes. They have extensive consequences on the ability of NGOs and other medical organisations in supplying medicine, equipment, and also indirectly: medical services. | |
| It’s not impossible, but it has made bringing equipment more difficult. The indirect consequence is the strained relationship between the DPRK and the United States and South Korea with individuals or groups that desire to provide medical aid to the DPRK. There is a very complex pathway in the government to procure the legal means to enter the country as well as bring in medicine and equipment. | |
| Updated at 1.09pm BST | |
| 12.59pm BST12:59 | |
| Maeve Shearlaw | |
| Hi all, | |
| Just to let you know the Q&A is about to start. | |
| Please continue to leave your questions in the comments and on Twitter @GuardianNK and Josiah will get to as many as he can in the next hour. | |
| And (if you haven’t already seen them) here’s some pictures to get a flavour of his trip. | |
| Related: Scenes from a North Korean hospital – in pictures | |
| Thanks | |
| 5.27pm BST17:27 | 5.27pm BST17:27 |
| Maeve Shearlaw | Maeve Shearlaw |
| Universal healthcare is one of North Korea’s founding promises. Whether or not citizens enjoy it depends on who you ask. | Universal healthcare is one of North Korea’s founding promises. Whether or not citizens enjoy it depends on who you ask. |
| When Kim Jong-un opened a new hospital in Pyongyang last year he boasted that the people would “live in luxury and comfort under socialism in good health”. Just last week he was spotted examining a shiny factory making medical supplies, and the Pyongyang maternity hospital is an attraction regularly shown to visiting foreigners. | When Kim Jong-un opened a new hospital in Pyongyang last year he boasted that the people would “live in luxury and comfort under socialism in good health”. Just last week he was spotted examining a shiny factory making medical supplies, and the Pyongyang maternity hospital is an attraction regularly shown to visiting foreigners. |
| But testimonies from North Koreans who have recently escaped paint a picture of a health system crippled by international sanctions. They say hospitals lack equipment, standards of treatment have plummeted and medical supplies are scarce, with people turning to crystal meth to numb the pain of their aliments. | But testimonies from North Koreans who have recently escaped paint a picture of a health system crippled by international sanctions. They say hospitals lack equipment, standards of treatment have plummeted and medical supplies are scarce, with people turning to crystal meth to numb the pain of their aliments. |
| Related: North Korean health system crumbling as shortages and sanctions bite | Related: North Korean health system crumbling as shortages and sanctions bite |
| One student doctor witnessed the reality first hand when he joined a medical mission to the country last year in which foreign medics worked with their North Korean counterparts. | One student doctor witnessed the reality first hand when he joined a medical mission to the country last year in which foreign medics worked with their North Korean counterparts. |
| Josiah Cha, a Korean-American whose grandparents escaped North Korea during the war, also observed a crumbling system but a committed group of staff doing their best for the patients. | Josiah Cha, a Korean-American whose grandparents escaped North Korea during the war, also observed a crumbling system but a committed group of staff doing their best for the patients. |
| Any questions? | Any questions? |
| As part of our three-day look at North Korea as it turn 70, Cha has agreed to answer your questions about the state of the country’s hospitals, and what that says about the health of the nation. | As part of our three-day look at North Korea as it turn 70, Cha has agreed to answer your questions about the state of the country’s hospitals, and what that says about the health of the nation. |
| Join him live today, 8 October, from 1-2pm BST, using the comments section below to post your questions. Alternatively you can tweet them at @GuardianNK or email maeve.shearlaw@theguardian.com. | Join him live today, 8 October, from 1-2pm BST, using the comments section below to post your questions. Alternatively you can tweet them at @GuardianNK or email maeve.shearlaw@theguardian.com. |