Kidney patients in Arakan State struggle to access dialysis

By Admin 28 Oct 2024

DMG Newsroom
28 October 2024, Sittwe

Kidney patients in Arakan State, where the war between Myanmar's military regime and the Arakkha Army (AA) rages on, are having difficulty receiving dialysis due to junta blockades, and their lives are in danger.

Kidney patients were previously able to receive dialysis at the Shwe Garuna free clinic in Sittwe, but due to the junta blockades since the latest fighting began in November of last year, kidney patients from townships such as Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Pauktaw and Ponnagyun are struggling to get medical treatment.

"Even if I were to receive medical treatment in Yangon, it would not be convenient. Kidney patients are surviving only on dialysis, so now that they are not on dialysis, the disease is getting worse," said a female kidney patient in Kyauktaw.

In Arakan State, there is only one dialysis machine at the Shwe Garuna free clinic in Sittwe. Kidney patients undergo dialysis treatment once a week or once every two weeks, depending on the condition of the disease.

The regime is currently blocking Sittwe's entry and exit points, and it is no longer convenient for Arakan State residents outside the capital to go to Sittwe for medical treatment. It is not easy for kidney patients to go to mainland Myanmar for medical treatment either, posing a growing risk to their lives as the blockades continue.

"Locals are struggling financially as they are fleeing the war. Now the patients' illness is getting worse, and it can be said that it is in a life-threatening situation," said a family member of a kidney patient.

"If kidney patients cannot treat their kidneys regularly, life is very dangerous. If the kidneys are affected, all the functions of the body can be affected. When the kidneys can't function normally, the toxins in the body can't be removed, and it can spread throughout the body and become a life-threatening concern," explained a doctor.

Some kidney patients from Arakan State travel to mainland Myanmar for dialysis despite roadblocks, but the cost is prohibitive for most.

"Now that I am receiving medical treatment in Yangon, the cost is very high. I don't have a regular income, but I have to undergo dialysis twice a month, so it's very difficult financially," said a kidney patient from Arakan State who receives medical treatment in Yangon.

With the fighting between the military and the AA intensifying in Arakan State, there is a shortage of medicines due to the junta blockades, and patients with chronic diseases are dying because they cannot buy the medicines they need.