22 April 2026 By Naing Yarzar Min
YANGON, Myanmar — Bereaved families at Yangon General Hospital are being forced to pay hundreds of thousands of Kyats in “release fees” and “preparation charges” just to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones, residents and witnesses told MPA.
As Myanmar’s economy continues to spiral under military rule, corruption within the nation’s largest public healthcare facility has reportedly reached a grim new low. Families already reeling from loss find themselves targeted by morgue attendants and low-level hospital staff demanding exorbitant bribes to handle deceased relatives.
The extortion begins almost immediately after death. According to sources, morgue guards demand at least 50,000 Kyats (approx. $15 USD at current market rates) just to release a body from the facility. An additional 100,000 Kyats is often extorted for “beautification” or “preparation for Buddhist rites,” even if the family does not request these services.
“A friend of mine lost his father recently. They had to pay 50,000 Kyats to get the body out,” a witness told MPA. “Then they were told to pay another 100,000 for makeup and flowers for the funeral sermon. None of that money goes to the monks; it stays in the pockets of the attendants.”
The problem is not limited to the morgue. Desperate families in the emergency ward report being hounded for “tea money” by trolley pushers and ambulance drivers. “Even when a patient is in critical condition, they are looking for money just to move the stretcher,” one resident said. “In this lawless era, we have no choice but to pay.”
While senior medical staff like doctors and nurses have largely moved away from such practices over the last decade, the culture of petty corruption remains deeply entrenched among lower-tier employees. Historically underpaid, these workers have seen their purchasing power obliterated by hyperinflation following the 2021 coup, leading many to resort to predatory tactics to survive.
Despite official suggestion boxes placed throughout the hospital, residents say their complaints are met with silence. “People send letters, but we don’t know if they are ever read,” a 35-year-old Yangon man said. “If the authorities know and do nothing, they are complicit in this racket.”
Hospital management has yet to issue an official statement regarding the allegations. However, for the people of Yangon, the hospital—meant to be a place of healing—has become a gauntlet of bribes and institutionalised greed, where even the final act of mourning comes with a price tag that many can ill afford.
