Rural Residents In Putao Township Are Facing Health Service Difficulties

Pajau Media Channel

16th February, 2024

According to the local residents, the locals are facing many difficulties in health care because there are not enough doctors and medical staff in Public Hospitals, District Hospitals, Rural health centers and Clinics in Putao Township, Kachin State.

Locals said that including public hospitals, even in rural clinics, there are not enough doctors and medical staff, so government health care is very lacking in the region.

“Especially pregnant women, and even the maternal and child care sectors were able to provide routine vaccinations and health care at the circuit hospitals and health centers related to them according to the village group before. Now, the Township can only give vaccines every 2 or 3 months on a rotating basis,” said an employee of the district public hospital.

According to a rural resident from Putao Township, as there is no medical clinic in the village, patients who need emergency treatment have to go to the town for treatment, so they are treated only with local traditional medicine.

“Even at the public hospital, there are not enough doctors and medical staff, so it is not possible to assign enough medical staff to district hospitals and rural health centers,” added a health official.

Locals said that after the country’s political changes, many medical staff and doctors retired, and government medical staffs no longer reach rural areas.

In addition to the lack of medical staff in the rural areas of Putao Township, the in and out checkpoint of the city are tightened and due to the ban on transit between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM, it is difficult for emergency patients to be transported to the hospital on time.

In early 2021, public health care was provided jointly by the Putao Township Military Hospital and the District Public Hospital, but since the end of 2022, public access to medical treatment at the military hospital has been banned.

News – Mali Hku