INDONESIA

Free Healthcare Clinics on the Rise in Mynamar

Free Healthcare Clinics on the Rise in Mynamar

63-year-old Daw Cho is being treated at this free health clinic called the Su Mittar… set up in the Thaketar township in Yangon.  It cares for the elderly and vulnerable.

“After I was discharged from a hospital, I felt some pain here, nerves in my hand, legs and felt ill very often. Since I've received treatments here, I am getting better,” she says.

Myanmar’s public health sector is one of the worst in the world. During military junta times the government only spent 1% of the national budget on health care.

The new semi-democratic government has increased the amount for health to around 4 percent of this year’s budget.

Due to a critical lack of funding government hospitals around the country are in a bad condition - with poor equipment, insufficient supplies and not enough doctors.

U Khin Tun from Kyin Pauk village is also a patient there.

“Our village, for our population, should have at least one or two doctors on the ground. But we do not have these kind of treatments and patients were only sent to hospitals in emergency situations - it's a big problem”

As a result of these poor government hospitals, private clinics have been emerging in big cities since 1995. But these private clinics are expensive.

“Private clinics are too expensive for general public. The main problem is that medical services for grassroots are still poor,” says Wai Phyo Aung, co-founder of Su Mitta free health care clinic.

And for most people, their only option is to go to the government hospitals or to take traditional medicines.

All public hospitals claim that they offer a cost-sharing plan – but in reality Daw Cho says she had to pay for everything.

“It costs around USD$710 for all, medicine and food,” she explains.

And no sharing of cost from the government.

“We had to buy all things:cotton wool, bandage, (hypodermic) needles - everything.”

Daw Cho was being treated at a local clinic. Her condition deteriorated and she was sent to the nearest hospital for an operation. “The doctors and nurses were good, they instructed what medicines I should buy. When you bought medicines they would give you an injection. But it depends on the money, if you have money you will get better.”

Daw Cho racked up a debt of 600 US dollars during her month of treatment.

“Now our house has to be sold to settle our debt. The signboard has already been put in place.“

But with the help of the free Su Mittar clinic she is now able to afford her treatment.

Under the semi-civilian government the number of clinics like Su Mittar has increased around the country. Local donors, welfare groups and political parties have come together to help the poor.

“More medicines are needed for public hospitals. And these kind of small clinics are also good. More people will benefit from these even if it is not a perfect situation,” says Wai Phyo Aung from the free clinic.

Though the work of these free clinics is vital, it doesn’t solve the wider problem of the state healthcare sector in Myanmar. It will continue to deteriorate if the government doesn’t do something drastic.



  • Burma
  • healthcare
  • free
  • clinic
  • Ko Swe DVB

Komentar (0)

KBR percaya pembaca situs ini adalah orang-orang yang cerdas dan terpelajar. Karena itu mari kita gunakan kata-kata yang santun di dalam kolom komentar ini. Kalimat yang sopan, menjauhi prasangka SARA (suku, agama, ras dan antargolongan), pasti akan lebih didengar. Yuk, kita praktikkan!