Present there were Ri Pong Hun, vice-minister of Public Health, officials of the said hospital, officials concerned, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, and her party on a visit to the DPRK, Sarveshwar Puri, representative of the World Health Organization, and staff members of its mission here.

Ri Pong Hun referred to the fact that the on-line medical service system was established in the DPRK with the cooperation of the WHO and expressed thanks for the WHO efforts.

He said that after establishing the service system, the DPRK is possible to promptly and correctly ensure diagnosis and treatment measure for patients through on-line video consultation by computer network between hospitals of the capital and the provincial level.

He stressed that the DPRK would positively push ahead the work for increasing the effectiveness of the system under the close cooperation with the WHO in the future, too.

Margaret Chan noted in her speech that the operation of the system is suited to the reality of the DPRK which has lots of mountainous areas, adding that it is a good idea to expand medical service for people by use of IT.

The on-line medical service system is very profitable, she said before expressing her will to render positive cooperation in the DPRK government's efforts to develop and expand the existing system.

The director-general and other members of the WHO expressed deep attention over the successful operation of the on-line medical service system in the DPRK.