Saturday, July 17, 2010

Who is lying about North Korea?

WHO, that's who.
Amnesty's report on Thursday described North Korea's health care system in shambles, with doctors sometimes performing amputations without anesthesia and working by candlelight in hospitals lacking essential medicine, heat and power. It also raised questions about whether coverage is universal as it — and WHO — claimed, noting most interviewees said they or a family member had given doctors cigarettes, alcohol or money to receive medical care. And those without any of these reported that they could get no health assistance at all.

Garwood said Thursday's report by Amnesty was mainly anecdotal, with stories dating back to 2001, and not up to the U.N. agency's scientific approach to evaluating health care.

"All the facts are from people who aren't in the country," Garwood told reporters in Geneva. "There's no science in the research."

The issue is sensitive for WHO because its director-general, Margaret Chan, praised the communist country after a visit in April and described its health care as the "envy" of most developing nations. [Emphasis mine]
Here's the full report from Amnesty International.

3 comments:

JorgXMcKie said...

The UN, and specifically WHO, have lied in the health stats since I've been using them. [At least since the early 1980s.]

JeffS said...

The United Nations, bringing death and despair to the world, and on your dime.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Margaret Chan and Janet Napolitano are related somehow, because Janet made an equally ridiculous statment when she remarked of not knowing how to fix our southern border. Wonder which developing nations are envious of NK's health care? Maybe she can have her next pap smear at the Dear Leader's Hospital.

Deborah Leigh