Minbya hospital understaffed, struggling to meet patients’ needs

By DMG 31 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
31 March 2022, Minbya

The township-level public hospital in Arakan State’s Minbya Township is understaffed and struggling to provide healthcare services to patients.

Minbya Township has a population of about 200,000 people, and the 50-bed township hospital currently has only two doctors — the medical superintendent and one assistant doctor.

“Normally, a 50-bed hospital must have a medical superintendent and six assistant doctors. But currently, there are only two doctors and we have to share the work. There are weaknesses as we have to take care of both Covid-19 patients and other patients,” Dr. Ne Win Tun, the medical superintendent of Minbya Township Hospital, told DMG.

Though the hospital has an officially designated capacity of just 50 beds, it sometimes treats more than 80 patients, overstretching the medical services it can reasonably provide. Patients from Pauktaw, Myebon and Mrauk-U townships have also sought treatment at Minbya Township Hospital.

Not surprisingly, some patients seeking treatment at the Minbya hospital have complained that they do not get proper healthcare services due to the shortage of doctors.

Minbya resident Daw Aye Khin Saw said: “It would be more convenient for patients if there are more doctors. I heard that the assistant doctor is on sick leave, and only the medical superintendent is left at the hospital now. Patients feel disheartened if there are no doctors.”

Minbya Township also has two cottage hospitals, in the villages of Pann Myaung and Min Pu. Pann Myaung hospital is in service, but the Min Pu facility was only recently built, and the Arakan State Department has not yet assigned doctors and supplied medical devices to it, according to Dr. Ne Win Tun.

Meanwhile, a cottage hospital on Sagu Island in neighbouring Ramree Township has not had a doctor since December 2020, meaning some 5,000 people from eight villages on the island have lacked access to proper healthcare services for more than a year.