Doctor deficit plagues cottage hospitals in Arakan State

By DMG 14 Jan 2022

DMG Newsroom
14 January 2022, Rathedaung

With a lack of physicians at cottage hospitals in some Arakan State townships, residents want authorities to promptly assign doctors where necessary as Myanmar’s public health sector faces unprecedented challenges amid the Covid-19 pandemic and post-coup difficulties with hospital staffing.

The cottage hospital in U Gar village, Rathedaung Township, has not had a doctor for more than two years, residents said.

The hospital has operated with only nurses since 2020, when it was opened. Local residents say there are many difficulties getting medical treatments.

“Patients don’t visit the hospital as there is not a doctor. They get medical treatment at Ku Taung cottage hospital, which is on the other edge of Rathedaung Island,” U Hla Aung San, head of U Gar village, told DMG. “As the transportation is not smooth, patients with severe illness are facing difficulties to reach there. So, we want authorities to try to have a doctor at the U Gar cottage hospital.”

Tin Nyo cottage hospital in Mrauk-U Township also has not had a doctor for some three months, with emergency patients being sent to Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw and Sittwe towns to receive medical treatment, residents told DMG.

U Saw Hla, a resident of Tin Nyo village, said: “If there is an emergency case that requires medical treatment, people have to go to other towns because there is no doctor at the village’s cottage hospital. Villagers go and take medicines from nurses for normal cases.”

Nga Mauk Chaung cottage hospital, on Saku Island in Ramree Township, has not had a doctor since 2019. A doctor was assigned in 2021, but he worked there for little more than a month, and there is no doctor at the hospital at the moment, residents said.

DMG phoned Dr. Soe Win Paing, assistant director of Arakan State’s Public Health Department, seeking comment on patient difficulties due to the lack of doctors at cottage hospitals, but he referred the enquiry to the Department of Medical Service.

DMG phoned Dr. Kyi Lwin, head of the state’s Department of Medical Service, who said the situation at the cottage hospitals has been submitted to superiors.