“Now, there is no doctor. Because of the absence, we have to go to Loikaw where doctor’s assistance is available, and it is costing me a lot in transportation. It’s difficult for those who can’t afford the transportation,” said one woman from Bawlake.

The woman said that it’s frustrating that Bawlake doesn’t have any doctors even though the hospital is big. The Bawlakae Hospital can service up to one hundred patients at a time including the care staff. For several months the government has been building an extension on the hospital but still doctors are not available, say nurses.

Neighboring townships such as Phasaung, Mae Set, Maw Chei  also have little choice but to depend on the limited services offered at Bawlakae Hospital.

Sometimes it’s the care staff themselves who suggest that patients seek treatment in Loikaw, realizing they can’t give them the help they need. Currently there isn’t an emergency doctor at the hospital, only a dentist.

Despite the free health care provided by the capital’s hospital, it’s still out of reach for some patients that cannot afford to traverse the 50 miles it takes to get to Loikaw.