- Web Master
- October 01, 2024
The health workers informed Narinjara News that the
Maungdaw hospital was closed on 4 March and the soldiers asked them to relocate
to Sittwe.
"The health workers have been instructed to move
to Sittwe on Tuesday. They were also asked to gather their belongings and
vacate the hospital premise. Patients have been discharged and the hospital was
closed on Monday. Now no patient is being admitted," said a local
resident.
Dr Nu Kaythi San, medical superintendent of the
hospital reportedly directed the health workers to move to Sittwe and if
necessary they are permitted to take their families with them.
"The junta forces instructed the medical
superintendent to direct the medical staff to move to Sittwe. Subsequently, she
relayed this directive to the staff. When we expressed our inability due to
family obligations, she ordered us to bring families too. However no
further instruction was delivered by the authority. We are only thinking about
our movement to Sittwe," added a health worker.
As the hospital authority refused to admit new patients, two pregnant women had
to return back with no treatment.
"Both the women came for caesarean
operations, but they were denied the medical benefits. Now the patients cannot
even go to Bangladesh as the roads are closed. Without any hospital or
clinic in Maungdaw locality the people will suffer in case of a medical
emergency. Both the Rakhines and Muslims are expressing their
helplessness at this moment,” stated the medical worker.
Currently, the Arakan Army (AA) and junta forces have
been engaged in intense gun fighting in Maungdaw locality. The AA fighters have
captured many military camps and hence the soldiers have assembled in the
hospital. Locals fear that the soldiers will occupy the hospital campus for
some days as they apprehend conflicts in urban areas too.
Narinjara News tried to contact the concerned medical superintendent for
further details, but could not make it.