Maungdaw general hospital closed as junta soldiers stationed on campus

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

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.