The general hospital in Maungdaw township, situated onthe western border of Rakhine State, has been closed to common people only toaccommodate a group of junta soldiers. As the hospital premises turned into atemporary military base, the health workers were shifted to Sittwe locality.

The health workers informed Narinjara News that theMaungdaw hospital was closed on 4 March and the soldiers asked them to relocateto Sittwe.

"The health workers have been instructed to moveto Sittwe on Tuesday. They were also asked to gather their belongings andvacate the hospital premise. Patients have been discharged and the hospital was closed on Monday. Now no patient is being admitted," said a localresident.

Dr Nu Kaythi San, medical superintendent of thehospital reportedly directed the health workers to move to  Sittwe and ifnecessary they are permitted to take their families with them.

"The junta forces instructed the medicalsuperintendent to direct the medical staff to move to Sittwe. Subsequently, sherelayed this directive to the staff. When we expressed our inability due tofamily obligations, she ordered us to bring families too.  However nofurther instruction was delivered by the authority. We are only thinking aboutour movement to Sittwe," added a health worker.

As the hospital authority refused to admit new patients, two pregnant women hadto return back with no treatment.

"Both the women came for  caesareanoperations, but they were denied the medical benefits. Now the patients cannoteven go to  Bangladesh as the roads are closed. Without any hospital orclinic in Maungdaw locality the people will suffer in case of a medicalemergency. Both the Rakhines and  Muslims are expressing theirhelplessness at this moment,” stated the medical worker.

Currently, the Arakan Army (AA) and junta forces havebeen engaged in intense gun fighting in Maungdaw locality. The AA fighters havecaptured many military camps and hence the soldiers have assembled in thehospital. Locals fear that the soldiers will occupy the hospital campus forsome days as they apprehend conflicts in urban areas too.

Narinjara News tried to contact the concerned medical superintendent forfurther details, but could not make it.