Socialist Healthcare Heals Disabled Girl

The main character of this article is Choe Su Ryon living in Yongje-dong, Songyo District, Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea.

7 years ago, modern medicine sentenced that she cannot walk on her feet forever. She became a helpless girl who could not even sit up without other´s help at her blooming age of 20 with many dreams. She gave up everything. Her parents, too, thought their only daughter could not escape the fate of a cripple. But health workers gave them confidence, promising to cure her by all means as they had experiences in curing such disease, and took her to a specialized hospital.

The Pyongyang Medical College Hospital of Kim Il Sung University examined her disease in detail and on the basis, gave hope to her that she can walk after a positive treatment. Her treatment started. Competent doctors came from famous central hospitals in Pyongyang including the Pyongyang Medical College Hospital of Kim Il Sung University and the Kim Man Yu Hospital. There is a Korean saying that a protracted illness wears out filial devotion. But more and more doctors came to Choe Su Ryon and many measures were taken. She underwent big operations based on cutting-edge medical science and technology twice and MRI examinations 7 times and received a lot of functional recovery treatment, and a large quantity of blood was transfused and expensive medicines administered. As years passed by, her clinical chart became thicker, but without bills. Neither Choe nor her mother calculated the cost of the long-term treatment.

At last she moved on her knees and walked with the help of a stick and now she is walking without stick. Leaving the hospital without stick, she said:

“I am a daughter of an ordinary demobilized officer. But the socialist public health system of the country is showing sincerity to me and the health workers sincerely treat me. No doubt that the doctors would treat not only me but any others for not just 7 years but even for 17 years to walk on their feet.”

Choe Su Ryon left for a sanatorium. Her treatment continues, thanks to our socialist healthcare system.