Question

A National Geographic Channel special, Inside North Korea, reported on Dr. Sanduk Ruit's humanitarian mission to North Korea, one of the poorest countries in the world. Over a 10-day period, he performed 1,000 relatively straightforward eye surgeries to remove blindness due to cataracts. Why is it not surprising that North Korea doesn't have doctors to perform the surgery?

Answer 1

The answer is: As described in the question, North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world, and it is expensive to train doctors to perform eye surgery. In a poor country, the labor cost of the doctor will not be that large but doctors need very specific and expensive equipment to perform eye surgeries. North Korea probably cannot afford to purchase the equipment necessary for performing eye surgeries.