In November 1952, 70 years ago, world people were filled with wonder when the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) promulgated the decree to introduce the universal free medical care system at the height of the Fatherland Liberation War.
It was hardly conceivable that our Republic, which was still in its cradle, could introduce the universal free medical care system amidst the flames of the grim war when it had to face the formidable aggressive forces of the U.S. imperialists, the armies from its 15 vassal states, the puppet army of south Korea and Japanese militarists which were attacking us, even using the bacteriological weapons.
President Kim Il Sung, who regarded people as heaven and took an ardent love for them as his natural disposition, made up his mind to adopt a people-oriented health policy to give free medical care to all the people at state’s expense even at a difficult time of the war when we had to fully mobilize the country’s manpower and material resources. He also gave step-by-step guidance to this work.
On January 20, 1952, while reading a document related to atrocious bacteriological warfare of the U.S., President Kim Il Sung said to the officials concerned as follows: Our people are dedicating themselves to win the war both at the frontlines and the rear area. They even lay down their lives for this. Nothing can be spared for such patriotic and self-sacrificing people. Nothing is more precious than the lives of our people. We need to bring the universal free medical care system into effect for all people.
Some people expressed their concerns. They proposed to postpone the free medical care system citing the cash-strapped situation of the country. However, President Kim Il Sung, though he was very busy taking the helm in the struggle for the final victory in the war, solved all the difficult problems arising in the preparation for the introduction of the universal free medical care system and gave wise guidance on this task so that it can be carried out without any deviation.
He then reviewed in detail the cabinet decree on introduction of the universal free medical care system which was to be promulgated to the world.
Thanks to the fervent love and devotion of great President, DPRK cabinet decree No. 203 “On Enforcing Free Medical Care System for the People” was promulgated on November 13, 1952.
When the cabinet decree was promulgated in the DPRK, the heroic country in the flames of war, the world media vied each other to report that the U.S. is devastating the DPRK with carpet-bombing, but the DPRK is striking the U.S. in the face with bomb “No. 203”, which is equivalent to 10 atomic bombs.
Like this, the free medical care system was born in the flames of war. This was a historic event brought by the ardent love of great President who was prepared to even pick a star from the sky if it were for people, regarding them as the most precious beings in the world.
