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“I tried hard to select appropriate words all night, but I could find no better word than thanks. Sorry. When even my family members were only worrying, you put your heart and soul into healing my arm and bringing smile back to my family. Thank you for melting my frozen and broken heart with your devotion hotter than flame.”

This is a passage from the letter Ryo Ok Byol (aged 39) living in Unjong District of Pyongyang wrote to Ko Mun Sik (aged 41), doctor at the traumatic surgery department of the Pyongyang University of Medical Sciences Hospital.

Some months ago, Ko Mun Sik treated Ryo who was hospitalized as the bone tissues of her upper arm were dislocated and fractured in an accident.

“The injury was very serious. And it was dozens of days after the patient got injured when she came to us,” recalled the traumatologist.

According to Ko, the six months pregnant woman had a miscarriage after she was seriously wounded in the right shoulder. When bone tissues are dislocated or fractured, the patient should have treatment within 15 days, but Ryo was compelled to delay having treatment for over 40 days as she had to restore her health that got bad for abortion.

As the damaged bone tissues were stuck after their shapes changed, even a slight movement gave her excruciating pain.

She finally came to the university hospital to ask the doctor to amputate her arm.

In the consultation, Ko fully understood the mind of the unfortunate woman and made a firm resolve to cure her injured arm without fail.

The doctor who had made remarkable achievements in surgical practice and scientific research and obtained an academic degree in his 30s made an in-depth study of the results of dozens of tests and case history sheets, performed several rounds of simulation operations in search of an effective remedy and tried his best to stabilize the mental state of the patient who lost confidence.

After three days of intense speculation and painstaking search, he found out a rational operation method which proved successful.

Even after surgery, Ko sat up all night at the hospital to treat her with all devotion.

On the day when she left the hospital after getting back both her arm and joy of life, the patient could find no words of thanks for Ko and other doctors and nurses, only shedding tears of gratitude.

“It is the duty of our medical workers to bring lasting happiness to patients, not a moment’s comfort. For this, all the medical workers of our department pooled ideas and efforts to give her encouragement,” said Ko.

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