Respected Health Worker Loses Battle with Cancer

Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo, a department head of the Karen National Union, passed away on February 8 at 12:49 PM at his home on the Thai-Burma border.

Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo, aged 65, died after suffering from liver cancer, according to his eldest son, Saw K’ser Mu Khah, who confirmed his father death to Karen News on Saturday.

Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo’s body was taken to the KNLA headquarters in 7th Brigade in preparation for a funeral service which will take place on Monday, February 10, 2020.

Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo was, until recently, the head of the Karen National Union’s Karen Department of Health and Welfare.

Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo was born in November 28, 1955 in Pathein Township, Ayeyarwaddy Region and finished high school at Titegyi in Rangoon. He joined the Karen resistance in 1973 and served as a teacher. In 1980, he attended several basic medical training at Manerplaw and later became a medic with a battalion medical unit of the Karen National Liberation Army. He later served as secretary of the KDHW before becoming head of the department.

Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo was earned the respect of not only Karen people, but international organisations delivering much needed health care in eastern Burma to thousands of villagers displaced by Burma Army offensives.

Nay Htoo, director of the Burma Medical Association said that the death of Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo is a huge loss for the Karen, especially in the medical field.

“He had rich experiences as he had worked in health since he was young. He brought many improvements to healthcare in the Karen community. We worked together for a long time. We are sad and his death is a big loss for us all.”

Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo is survived by his wife and his four children.