By Naing Yarzar Min / MPA
Charity and public hospitals in Yangon are facing critical shortages of essential medicines, forcing doctors to turn away patients and slash operation schedules, residents and staff have told MPA.
Strict import restrictions and a severe shortage of foreign currency under the military regime are being blamed for the supply crunch, which has left vital drugs unavailable in state-run local hospitals.
Patients seeking treatment at major facilities, including San Pya Hospital and North Okkalapa General Hospital, report being unable to access basic life-saving treatments, such as rabies vaccines.
“I went to get a rabies shot, but they referred me to Yangon General Hospital because they were out of stock,” said a patient who recently visited San Pya Hospital in Thingangyun Township. “The vaccination at the General Hospital is free, but it is far away and difficult to get to.”
A 45-year-old mother faced a similar ordeal at North Okkalapa General Hospital. “I took my son for a vaccination, but they sent us to Insein Hospital instead. They just said the medicine was out of stock,” she said.
The crisis has also hit the charity sector, which acts as a safety net for Myanmar’s poor.
At the Cakkhupala Charity Eye Hospital in East Dagon Township, a lack of surgical supplies has forced a drastic reduction in treatments.
“We can’t buy the necessary medical supplies for eye surgeries,” said a volunteer at the hospital. “We used to perform about 150 surgeries a day. Now, we have had to cut that down to about 70. We’ve had to turn away half our patients.”
While public and charity hospitals run dry, medicines reportedly remain available in private hospitals—but at prices that are unaffordable for the general public.
Medical professionals and critics argue that the shortage is man-made. They accuse the military council of hoarding scarce US dollars to purchase weapons and military equipment, while restricting imports of essential civilian goods, including pharmaceuticals.
