Military hospitals, medical battalions provided healthcare services to more than 320,000 ethnic-national people, enhancing the health sector from January to December 2021
Health is wealth for every person in accord with Arojam Paramam Lapham. Only when everybody is healthy will they successfully take social, economic, daily consumption, accommodation and clothing, and education measures. In accord with the policy guideline that “only when one is healthy will one do work and learn” given by Chairman of the State Administration Council Comman-der-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Tatmadaw is discharging State defence and security duties while carrying out public welfare tasks such as healthcare services and rescue and relief tasks in natural disasters in successive eras.
The Tatmadaw took the State responsibilities by declaring the state of emergency in accord with the Constitution 2008 owing to heavy voting frauds in the 2020 election.
State service personnel must be free from party politics and faithfully serve the assigned duties for the State and the people. But, threats of unscrupulous persons happened CDM activities, causing difficulties in healthcare services for the people. As the health sector
which is a basic need for the people faced requirements, the Tatmadaw is giving healthcare services not only to the Tatma-daw members and their families but also to local ethnic-national people at military hospitals in regions and states in accord with the guidance of the Chairman of the State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Military hospitals and medical battalions in regions and states gave healthcare services to the local ethnic-national people. In this regard, healthcare services were given to 329,759 outpatients, 98,328 inpatients and 19,526 maternity patients from 5 February to 31 December 2021 with a medical checkup for surgical disease, dental and oral diseases, physiotherapy,cardio-intestine, neuro-surgical disease, eye disease, ear dis-ease, nose disease, throat disease, Obstetrics and Gynaeco-logical disease, urine and kidney disease, cardiac disease and general diseases. At present, 816 patients are under healthcare services.
Moreover, the government, the Tatmadaw and the people in unison addressed the needs of medicines, oxygen and health equipment for prevention and control of COVID-19 in the third wave. The infection rate of the pandemic hit 33.2 per cent in July and August when the infection reached its climax. At present, the infection rate is down to 1.3 per cent.
Due to threats of terrorist groups CRPH and NUG, some health staff participated in the CDM activities. Consequently, healthcare services for the public faced a delay. Moreover, some people unacceptably lost their lives in encountering the impacts of COVID-19 in the third wave. Moreover, as some health staff participated in the CDM activities in the remote areas, some hospitals and clinics were closed, causing delays in the healthcare services.
As such, medical doctors, medical officers and nurses from the Tatmadaw medical corps went to relevant people’s hospitals, station hospitals and rural dispensaries to reopen them. But, they faced some protests based on threats and incitement of unscrupulous persons. Despite facing difficulties and hindrances, members of the Tatmadaw medical corps regrouped their strengths and did their best for the interests of the people.
The Tatmadaw gives healthcare services to the local people at military hospitals and medical battalions in regions and states. Moreover, mobile medical specialist teams of the Tatmadaw and mobile medical teams from relevant military commands provided health-
care services and raised the health awareness of the people over the COVID-19 and other diseases. As the mobile medical teams were facilitated with a modern operation theatre vehicle and X-ray vehicle in addition to the participation of experienced medical doctors, emergency treatment could be given to the patients and referred to nearby military hospitals so as to save a large number of lives of the people. Furthermore, the Tatmadaw still fulfils the requirements in beefing up the healthcare services for the ethnic-national people.