Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: ICRC donates equipment to support health-care facilities

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently delivered medical equipment to a hospital and two physical rehabilitation centres in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as part of providing support to health-care services in the country. The donation was received by officials of the Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The equipment will help the ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation centres in Rakrang district, Pyongyang, and Songrim, North Hwanghae Province, offer quality services to those in need. The items donated for the two physical rehabilitation centres included materials for producing artificial limbs, specialized toilet seats for patients and other essential rehabilitation aids. Additionally, equipment and materials, including trauma beds, were donated to help the delivery of care in the emergency department of Pyongyang Medical College Hospital.

The ICRC has been present in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea since 2002 and has been running several programmes in the country in cooperation with the DPRK Red Cross Society and other partners. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and the consequent strict preventive measures introduced by the authorities in 2020, a majority of ICRC-supported activities have been put on hold. Till the ICRC's international staff members return to the country, the team in Pyongyang office is supported remotely by the regional delegation for East Asia in Beijing.