Kim Hyong Hun, vice-minister of Public Health, told KCNA:

The main stress of our efforts for this year is put on the work to strengthen the material and technical foundations as a link of bringing about a turn in the public health service.

A work has been stepped up to remodel medical appliances factories and pharmaceutical factories on a high level. In particular, the project for turning the Myohyangsan Medical Appliances Factory into a model one playing a leading role in the country's medical appliances industry is nearing the last stage.

And big efforts are being made to newly build medical articles factories and remodel Koryo medicine pharmaceutical factories and produce medicines, medical articles and reagents on the basis of the domestic raw materials.

The ministry has also worked out a plan for producing a new kind of advanced medical appliances like dental high-frequency induction centrifugal caster developed by Pyongyang University of Medicine.

Meanwhile, a work is in progress to extend the nation-wide telemedicine system and improve the quality of medical service for children by introducing advanced diagnosis and treatment methods.