Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing addresses ceremony to honour military doctors who served at physician-insufficient township, station hospitals in transport-poor far-flung corners of Naga Self-Administered Zone, Chin State and Sagaing Region
NAY PYI TAW January 13
A ceremony to honour military doctors who served at physician-insufficient hospitals in transport-poor far-flung corners of Naga Self-Administered Zone, Chin State and Sagaing Region to improve the health conditions of locals was held at Bayintnaung Villa this morning with an address by Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Commanderin-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Maung Maung Aye, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung,Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Tun Aung, Union Minister for Health Dr Thet Khaing Win,senior military officers from the Office of the Commanderin-Chief, the chairman of Central Executive Committee of Myanmar War Veterans Organization.
First, the Senior General lauded military doctors who provided public healthcare services at the remote areas of the country.
Geographical and health condition of remote areas
The Senior General said Myanmar is a country home to multiple national races, and has the natural features such as forests, mountains and mountain ranges,plains and river basins where ethnic peoples live. Health standard of the people living in faraway mountainous regions was low as they did not have access to healthcare.
The 2020 indicators show that life expectancy at birth of Chin State was 63.3 year, which was the lowest in the country whose average life expectancy stood at 67. The country’s mortality rate of under-one infants per 1,000 live births during the time was 12, while that of Chin State was 18. Chin State’s under-five mortality rate stood at 25 per 1,000 live births, while that of the country was 15. The country’s maternal mortality rate was 102.7 per 100,000 live births, and that of Chin State was 158, which was the highest among all regions and states. The national malnutrition of under-fives was 26.7 percent, while that of Chin State was 40 percent. Hence, Tatmadaw will provide healthcare for the remote areas that did not have access to it.
Services rendered by military medical officers in Chin State and Naga Self-Administered Zone
Since 2016 Tatmadaw has been sending officer medics to such areas for providing healthcare services. It sent 44 medics each in the first and second times, 46 in the third time, and 18 in the fourth time, totalling 152. Sadly, during the third time, 44 of the 46 arrived back safely, as two of them fell while on duty at Lonlae Station Hospital due to terrorist attack. During the time, medics served at 23 township hospitals, station hospitals and rural healthcare centres in places including Tonzang, Matupi, Hmaungtalan, Lahe and Nanyun for two years and three months.
Honorary certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services was conferred on the two fallen officers, Capt Hlaing Myint Tun and Capt Win Kyaw, for brilliantly discharging their assigned duties.
It is important to keep the goals of individuals alive in order to sustain their lives. By keeping the goals of individuals alive, that of families and the state will continue to be invigorated and success of the entire society can be achieved. Therefore, it can be seen that 76 medical officers who performed their duties in remote areas were directly allowed to attend master's degree courses in medical science.
It is believed that the medical officers will continue to exert efforts for the interests of oneself,one's family and the state and the Tatmadaw without losing sight of one's goals. I would like to urge all not to reduce the perseverance, diligence, efforts, endurance and contentedness already achieved.
Among the medical officers who performed duties in Chin State and Naga Self-Administered Zone, the Tatmadaw is proud of a Tatmadaw medical officer who made a distinction by performing duties at the People's Hospital in Matupi Township in 2018 and at the People's Hospital in Lahe Township of his own volition in 2022.
In providing healthcare services by the Tatmadaw in Chin State and Naga Self-Administered Zone, the Tatmadaw has offered healthcare services to 467,016 local residents including 202,332 people in the first trip, 171,084 people in the second trip and 93,600 people in the third trip. Healthcare services for general medical treatments, surgical diseases, obstetrics and gynecology diseases, eye, ear and nose diseases, stomach and digestive tract diseases were provided to the public. This reflects the fact that the Tatmadaw always upholds the interests of the national peoples.
Tatmadaw always provides public healthcare services
It can be seen that the pandemic has an impact at home and abroad and human resources for healthcare services have decreased. The World Health Organization has set the minimum ratio of people and doctors at 1,000: 1 and the minimum ratio of people and health workers at 1,000: 2.3. In Myanmar, the current ratio of the people and doctors, health workers stands at 1,000: 0.37: 1.47 and the ratio is much lower than the rate designated by the WHO. During the recent political conflict, some health workers deserted their workplaces and the number of health workers has dropped significantly. To fulfill the need of the healthcare sector, defence services hospitals and clinics have increased the provision of healthcare services to the public and 449,892 outpatients and 137,080 inpatients have received healthcare services so far.
The Tatmadaw is an institution that always serves the interests of the country and national race people. In doing so, the Tatmadaw not only performs its original duties of stability and security but also contributes to the health and education of the people.
I would like to praise those who performed healthcare duties in remote areas. I would like to urge all to strive for academic progress as doctors and continue to uphold the interests of the country and the people.
Giving honorary gifts
The Senior General presented honorary gifts to the military medical officers who served at remote areas through three medical officers.
Enhancing health condition as well as serving public welfare in accord with guidance of the Chief of the Tatmadaw
On behalf of the military medical officers who served the duties in remote areas, medical officer Captain Hlaing Myint Tun recounted the experiences in medical treatment. He express thanks that while serving duties in the regions where local people did not enjoy full healthcare services, as detail requirements were fulfilled for them. As necessary medicines, medical equipment, logistic measures and aid for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 were provided, they successfully served the assignments. Under the guidance of the Senior General, the captain continued that they served the improvement of health conditions of local people and participated in public welfare, all-round development of the region and basic teaching measures.
They embraced the warm response of the local people. During the period, the captain expressed thanks to the Senior General and officials for their fulfillment for necessary requirements to successfully serve duties with guidance and care and pledged to dutifully serve the assignments for the State and the Tatmadaw in respective sectors.
The attendees to the ceremony and the medical officers were hosted a tea party. During the tea time, the Myawady entertainment troupe presented songs.
After the ceremony, the Senior General and party cordially greeted the military medical officers.
Military medical officers served duties in remote areas of Sagaing Region, Chin State and Naga Self-Administered Zone at the hospitals which needed medical doctors for improving health conditions of local people.
A total of 44 military medical officers served there in 2016 for the first time, 44 in 2018 for the second time, 46 in 2020 for the third time and 18 in 2022 for the fourth time. During the period
of exchanging duties, local people warmly welcomed the military medical officers and families. During the assigned period, families also went along with the medical officers to the regions and participated in the respective tasks and regional development functions.
From the first to the third times, the military medical officers gave healthcare services to 467,016 local ethnic people as well as carried out public welfare, awareness raising for agriculture and livestock to contribute to the food, clothing and shelters of local people, and regional development tasks together with local people and relevant departmental personnel.
They were honoured at the ceremony as they served the interests of the local people and the State through their profession as much as they can.