The People's Hospital in Pansaung Town in Nanyun Township in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Sagaing Region is in danger of collapse and has had to close.
This has caused significant challenges for people wanting to access healthcare in the area, which is very close to the border with India.
A Pansaung Town resident said: "The hospital hasn't collapsed yet, but cracks have started appearing on the walls. It was shut down because no one felt safe staying there anymore. It's possible the construction contractors didn't focus on quality, though we can't say for sure. The structure is now in very poor condition, with cracks forming everywhere, making it almost certain to collapse. That’s why no one dares to remain inside the building.”
The 16- bed hospital, which was only completed in 2017, was declared to be at a high risk of collapse by engineers in 2023, according to a source from the Pansaung Health Department who spoke to NMG.
Since the People’s Hospital closed, healthcare services have been relocated to the old hospital building. Unfortunately, space there is far more limited than at the newer hospital and currently, it is only really operating as a maternity unit.
The Pansaung Health Department source said: “The old hospital is quite small and can't accommodate many patients. As a result, it prioritises maternity patients. Those with serious illnesses need to be referred to the Indian side or downtown Nanyun, and if any maternity patients require surgery they must also go to India.”
Making matters worse for the residents of Pansaung Town, there is also a shortage of drugs. Getting medicine, medical equipment, and food products to Pansaung is very challenging due to transportation difficulties.
Typically, during the wet season, as it is now, land routes connecting the Naga Self-Administered Zone to the rest of Myanmar become damaged and unusable, making air transport the only option for getting medicine and other goods into the area.
Another Pansaung Town resident said: "The hospital is facing a severe shortage of medicine and medical equipment, including essentials like cannulas. Pansaung Town is also experiencing a drug shortage, compounded by damaged roads that have disrupted the supply of not only medicine, but also basic food products, such as fish paste, from the mainland. The old hospital is treating patients with whatever medicine it has on hand, but for medications it does not stock, patients are required to find and purchase them themselves. However, it's also nearly impossible to buy medicine outside the hospital.”
The only healthcare staff currently in Pansaung Town are two midwives, two senior nurses, and one male general health worker.
