MSF sees worsened health condition in Rakhine State

The group was expelled by authorities in February after treating victims from both sides of clashes between Buddhist locals and members of the Muslim ethnic Royingya community.

"We learn that, during our suspension, just a few patients received medical care from government," said Reshma Adatia, operational adviser to MSF-Holland on Myanmar. 

"It's like we have to start from a minus situation."

MSF is also the largest provider of HIV/AIDS care in Myanmar, currently treating over 35,000 HIV patients nationwide, as well as 3,000 people for tuberculosis.

Outside assistance is deemed necessary given that the country’s public spending on healthcare is below 10 per cent of gross domestic product which is estimated at around US$57 billion. 

The group restarted primary health clinics on December 17 after talks with the government. 

In the past four weeks it has treated more than 3,480 outpatients and consulted more than 550 pregnant women, MSF said on Tuesday.

MSF also provides healthcare to all ethnic groups in Shan and Kachin states as well as Yangon, in the mission started in 1992. It offers services including basic healthcare, reproductive care, emergency referrals, and malaria treatment. Since 2004, MSF has treated more than 1.2 million people across Rakhine State for malaria. 

Through primary clinics in Rakhine State, the group hopes to extend medical care to Tens of thousands of people. 

MSF has worked in Rakhine state since 1992 to provide basic healthcare, reproductive care, emergency referrals, and tuberculosis and HIV care. MSF has also treated over 1.2 million malaria patients in the state since 2004. All medical services have been provided based purely on the severity of individuals’ medical need.

On the opening of the clinic, Martine Flokstra, MSF Myanmar Operational Adviser in Amsterdam, welcomed the progress it has made so far, referring to the negotiation with the government.

“There is space to do more, space we at MSF are willing and able to fill,” said Flokstra. “We hope to continue this dialogue with the authorities to ensure that those who need it most in Rakhine state are able to access the healthcare they need.”

Among the first batch of outpatients, numbering 3,480, they are predominately people with watery diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and patients with chronic conditions who used to get the medications they need to manage their disease from MSF Holland before those services were suspended. 

After the forced suspension in February, MSF Holland has worked together with the Ministry of Health in Rakhine by providing medicine and personnel to support mobile primary health care teams in Sittwe and Pauktaw Townships, and continued its support of HIV patients in Buthidaung and Maungdaw. 

Throughout the 9-month period MSF also continued to provide direct care and treatment to more than 35,000 HIV/AIDS patients, and more than 3,000 tuberculosis patients, most of whom are also HIV positive, across Myanmar.