This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now being reprinted with permission.
In a departure from previous practice, some North Korean hospitals are posting prices for medical care and treatments, according to sources in the country who have contacted Radio Free Asia. This suggests that the government is abandoning the goal of providing completely healthcare.
The Public Health Act of the socialist nation mandates that the state provide detailed, cost-free treatment. Although the real has changed for years and people have traditionally paid out of pocket for medical bills and additional expenses, according to two options in two different regions, rates are now openly displayed.
The first resource in North Hamgyong county, who requested secrecy for security reasons, claimed that just hospitals in the state have changed their signs and started displaying health fees inside the buildings. The costs are prominently displayed at the reception area as soon as you enter the doctor.
The source claimed that some people were “quite shocked” when hospitals started posting care costs in February. People were used to, at the very least, getting interviews for free in the past, even if they had to pay for prescription drugs.
The supply in North Hamgyong state, which is located in the northeast of the nation, reported that hospitals have started posting treatment costs as well as changing their names from “people’s hospitals” to ones that are based on the district or city since drop 2024.
According to a second source in North Pyongan province, which is located in the country’s west, fees are listed in the hospital reception area, such as 5, 000 won ( 25 to 50 cents ) for registration, 5, 000 won ($ 1 to$ 2 ) for consultation, 20, 000 won ($ 1 to$ 2 ) for an X-ray, and 50, 000 won ($ 2.50 to$ 5) for medical certificates. Prices for various medications, including painkillers and antibiotics, are also displayed, with prices starting at 200 won ( 1 to 2 cents ) for an aspirin tablet and ranging to 8, 000 won ( 40 to 80 cents ) for penicillin.
In theory, North Korea has free access to medical care, but the country’s capacity to provide it has been hampered for years by persistent shortages, which became acute after the former Soviet Union’s collapse, the subsidies it provided, and then the late 1990s, when it finally experienced hunger. Anecdotal evidence points to a widespread lack of basic amenities like light in hospitals and clinics.
Separate research on the North Vietnamese health care system, based on responses from North Koreans who fled to South Korea, and published in 2020, basically suggests that out-of-pocket expenses for medical services have been common for years, even for health sessions. More than 80 % of the 383 people who responded to the study said they had purchased medical products and medications.
