Kyaing Hein Lin

Narinjara News, 20 May 2024

The restriction in transporting essential goods andmedicines to Arakan (Rakhine) State by the military juntahas created numerous difficulties for the residents, where the lack of medicalsupplies even leads to fatalities among patients of chronic illnesses andpregnant women.

"Recently, an elderly person with chronic illness died at a refugee camp.At the same time, a displaced woman died due to liver diseases, as there was nomedicine for her treatment. A pregnant woman with systemic lupus erythematosusalso lost her life because of no medication in need,” said a social workerbased in Pauktaw.

He stated that these fatalities took place in Pauktawtown and similar deaths might have occurred in other localities as well.

On 16 May, a pregnant woman from Kyauktaw also passed away due to coronaryartery diseases.

Lack of medicines has prevented many people in IDPcamps from taking necessary care in the Arakan region. Now many are suffering from diarrhoea and skindiseases due to extreme heat and scarcity of clean water.

In Ann, the fighting between the junta forces and ArakanArmy (AA) fighters isgoing on and amid the conflict many elderly residents died due to the extremeheat.

An Arakanese doctoradvised local people to reduce their alcohol consumption and to take extraprecautions for their health during the hot days.

In regions under the control of AA, the healthcarepersonnel continue providing medical care to the people. But the hospitals arebeing targeted by the junta soldiers and hence people are deprived of muchneeded treatment for serious ailments.

On 15 May, the junta soldiers carried out airstrikeson Wea Gyi Daunt cottage hospital in Kyauktaw using a jet fighter. It resultedin complete destruction of the hospital and caused injuries to 20 individualsincluding medical staff, patients and caretakers.