Over the past three years 20 infants and 12 mothers have died in IDP camps in Mindat Township, southern Chin state, according to local humanitarian workers.
Lack of sufficient maternal health services, limited access to nutrient-rich food, and bad road infrastructure are key factors for these deaths.
Ko Laurence, head of the IDP management committee for Mindat Township, said that the transportation of medicine into Mindat Township has been blocked since the Burma army announced martial law in the township after the military coup. This blockade has caused shortages of medical supplies for local people and IDPs. Another factor that contributed to the deaths of babies and mothers in IDP camps is the lack of professional medical doctors and nurses in Mindat Township, he said.
“One problem is that there are no proper medicines available for mothers when they give birth. Another thing is that pregnant women and babies need nutrient-rich foods, which are scarce in the IDP camps. Another problem is that there is lack of professional medical personnel. Also, bad roads in this area mean that it is really difficult for pregnant women to travel to receive healthcare,” Ko Laurence told Khonumthung News.
Documentation collected by the Mindat Township IDP management committee reveals that between 2021 and 2023 there were 20 infant deaths and 12 mothers who died due to complications related to child birth in IDP camps across Mindat Township. Ko Laurence said that the real number of maternal fatalities was likely even higher.
In addition to a lack of sufficient healthcare, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers often do not have access to nutrient-rich foods in IDP camps because of food shortages. In some cases, nutrient-rich foods may be available to purchase but pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers do not have extra money to buy these foods.
“Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers need nutrient-rich foods and proper medicine. We are able to provide these things to a few women at the moment, but it is difficult to fully meet the demand. Overall, the majority of pregnant women and mothers have received nutritious foods and medicines,” a health worker, who is helping IDPs in Mindat Township, told Khonumthung News.
Except for Mindat town, all of Mindat Township is under the control of the Chinland Defense Force – Mindat. The People’s Administration for Mindat Township has provided people living in the IDP camps with healthcare services. The People’s Administration for Mindat Township has also opened medical clinics in IDP camps and has provided recent mothers with financial assistance. The health worker said that IDPs still require humanitarian aid including food rations and medicine.
Ko Laurence also said that some pregnant women had miscarriages or stillbirths because they didn’t receive proper healthcare services when they were pregnant in IDP camp or they were unable to access services in time due to bad road infrastructure.
“An infant died in an IDP camp recently. The mother was from Shikalu village which is quite far from the hospital. She experienced complications during labour and she attempted to hire motorcycle to transport her to a hospital. When she arrived at the hospital, we checked the unborn baby with an ultrasound and determined that the baby had died in her womb. Even though our hospital is operating well, she was unable to arrive into our hospital on time because bad road mean transportation takes a long time. Also, we still need more professional doctors and nurses here,” Ko Laurence told Khonumthung News.
There are more than 10,000 IDPs in Mindat Township of southern Chin state. These people have been displaced by armed clashes between the Burma army and Chin resistance groups following the military coup.
