Regime restricts patients returning from Yangon from carrying medicines to Arakan State

By Admin 10 Jan 2026

DMG Newsroom

10 January 2026, Sittwe

Myanmar's military regime is reportedly restricting patients from Sittwe and Kyaukphyu from carrying sufficient medicines back to Arakan State by air after receiving treatment in Yangon.

Due to chronic and emergency illnesses, many residents are unable to access adequate medical care in Arakan State and are forced to travel to Yangon for treatment.

Patients say they are facing serious difficulties as the regime allows only about a third of their prescribed medicines to be carried on return flights.

"Even though I brought three months' worth of medicine for my illness along with a prescription, I was only allowed to take one month. With airfare prices so high, it's not easy to go to Yangon once a month. If I run out of medicine, I can't order it. I just have to pray that I can get enough medicine," said a woman from Sittwe.

According to locals, the military regime has banned the transportation of medicines to Sittwe by air since mid-2025, allowing delivery only by sea.

Residents say cargo ships travelling from Yangon to Sittwe are irregular and can take months to arrive, resulting in medicine shortages and soaring prices in Sittwe.

It is also reported that the regime has banned the transport of medicines from Yangon to Kyaukphyu, allowing only limited quantities to be carried by patients.

A woman from Thandwe said: "When I travelled from Yangon to Thandwe, the military regime confiscated all the medicines I brought with me when I arrived in Kyaukphyu. They told me I couldn't bring any medicine. I have diabetes and heart disease, so I brought medicine in advance because I was worried I wouldn't be able to find what I needed here. But they confiscated everything, and now I don't know what to do next. I'm not sure if I can buy medicine. I can't buy medicine in Arakan State."

The military regime has been blocking routes for the transportation of medicines and goods to Arakan State since 2023, leading to widespread shortages.

Local residents rely mainly on India for essential medicines and healthcare, and also travel frequently to mainland Myanmar for medical treatment.

"Since the roads were closed, medicine prices in Kyaukphyu have risen and it has become difficult to find them. That's why I used to send medicines to my mother in Kyaukphyu by plane. Over the past two months, the military regime has stopped accepting the medicines we used to send. Out of five medicine kits, only two are now allowed," said a Kyaukphyu resident currently in Yangon.

The military regime is not only restricting the flow of goods and medicines to Arakan State, but is also carrying out airstrikes on hospitals, leaving local communities facing severe health challenges.

Residents of Sittwe and Kyaukphyu, which remain under regime control, have also been barred from leaving the cities, with only limited air travel permitted.

Locals report that passengers are required to obtain recommendation letters from village, ward and township administrators to travel by air, and are paying up to K2 million for one-way flights between Kyaukphyu and Yangon or Sittwe and Yangon.