While the diseases prevention measures are been implemented according to the basic health concept of “prevention is better than cure” the state is not neglecting on curative services but upgrading the services that include rehabilitation.

Medical care

To cope with the increasing population and advancing medical technologies, the state had upgraded hospitals quantitatively and qualitatively since taking the responsibility of the nation in 1988. Previously existing 16, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300 bedded hospitals were upgraded to 98 (25-bedded hospitals), 25 (50-bedded hospitals), 15 (100-bedded hospitals), 3 (150-bedded hospitals), 20 (200-bedded hospitals), 1 (250-bedded hospital), 3 (300-bedded hospitals) and 1 (800-bedded hospital). In addition, plans were made to construct hospitals and clinics, staffing the facilities and provision of medical supplies and equipments for the development of border areas. New hospitals were also constructed at the capital and major towns of every state and division.

According to the Head of State’s guidance of the equity between Yangon and Mandalay, construction of new ENT hospital, 300-bedded teaching hospital, mental health hospital, women’s hospital and children’s hospital are carried out in Mandalay. Special curative wards, medical equipments and provisions, qualified staffing and diagnostic facilities are also made comparable to Yangon. Currently, equity in health care services between Upper and Lower Myanmar is established and the patients from Upper Myanmar do not need to go down to Yangon for expansive quality care which is now available in Mandalay.

Major six disciplines of medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia and dentistry are established at every district hospital and 300 district level specialists are staffed there. In addition to the above disciplines, opthalmology, ENT, orthopaedic, psychiatry, pathology and radiology disciplines are also established in state and division level hospitals and 259 state and division level specialists are also appointed for the hospitals.

Following the guidance of the Head of State, to promote the medical service to international level, the government had provided financial support in foreign currency worth 40.43 million US dollars to purchase modern updated hospital instruments and equipments. These were installed in hospitals as included in the project for upgrading teaching hospitals of the Special 4 Year Plan for Promotion of National Education (Health Sector). In addition to central and teaching hospitals in Yangon and Mandalay, state and divisional hospitals and district hospitals, support were also provided for some township hospitals.

Like the teaching hospitals, the state and divisional hospitals are equipped with modern laboratory equipments, haemetology analysers, histology tissue processing equipments, anesthesia machines, operation theatre equipments and intensive care facilities. This upgrading scheme is extended to district level hospitals currently.

At Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw hospitals, ultra modern diagnostic and curative equipment such as 64 slice CAT scan, MRI machines, radiation therapy machines, nuclear technology cardiac perfusion machines are installed and made available for effective treatment to the patients.

In the past, the cardiac patients need to travel abroad for diagnostic and treatment purposes because of the lack of necessary equipments to do cardiology procedures, although the trained expertise is available locally. The State Peace and Development Council Government had made available of the cardiac catheterization laboratory in Yangon on 1-8-2000 and in Mandalay on 27-2-2001. Now the cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in Yangon and Mandalay can do balloon dilatation of blocked coronary arteries, Percutaeneous Trans Coronary Angiography PTCA, PTCA + Stent deployment and cardiac catheterization angiography amounting 2,134 patients to date. Previously open heart surgery can be done only at Yangon General Hospital but with the upgrading of cardiac facilities Mandalay General Hospital is also available for open heart surgery. Mandalay Hospiatal had formed such procedures totalling 1496 cases to date.

Myanmar medical specialists have accumulated experiences and qualifications to such an extent that it is now able to do organ transplants and complicated surgical procedures such as separation of conjoint twins. To this, Myanmar medical specialists had attained the worldwide recognition of the level of Myanmar medical standard. Conjoint twins, Aye Aye Nyein and Ei Ei Nyein who were fused at the chest were operated and successfully separated at the Yangon Children’s Hospital on 25-7-1999. Similarly and more complicated, Moe Pa Pa Aung and Moe Ma Ma Aung who were fused at the pelvis were successfully separated on 11-8-2002. This complicated procedure which is difficult even in the developed countries was a success because of the state investment on the training of Myanmar doctors and their coordinated efforts.

The first renal transplant for Myanmar was done at Yangon General Hospital on 8-5-1997 and amounting to 26 transplants to date. Mandalay performed it’s first renal transplant on 25-1-2002 amounting to 8 cases to date. The success of performing 34 cases without fatalities was the teamwork and efforts of the Myanmar doctors and nurses with the state sponsorship and support. At present, the renal transplant is performed on regular basis and the citizens can get renal transplantation locally without going abroad and spending a large amount of money.

For the patients with damaged liver with no way of care apart from transplantation, the first liver transplantation was successfully done on 25-8-2004. It was good news for Myanmar organ donors who are keen on donations.

In the past, a person who needs an organ transplant has to go abroad and spends a lot on it. Those who can’t afford is a nightmare for them. Thanks to the State investment most can take transplantation locally without spending much.

Previously, due to the lack of equipment and expertise there was an unnecessary loss of limbs and organs in major injuries. Realizing this, the state had provided modern equipment and trained health personnel to such a level that it can now save patients, do micro surgery and reattach severed limbs.

Orthopaedic surgeons of Yangon General Hospital successfully performed microsurgeries such as reattachment of the severed wrist of a sawmill worker on 31-7-2000, reattachment of forearm due to injury resulting from traffic accident on 4-11-2003 and reattachment of forearm due to dah cut on 4-11-2003.

On 13-1-2005, an amputated thumb at the base was transplanted with the second toe using micro surgery on 31-1-2005. Similarly, an amputated finger was transplanted with little toe on 31-1-2005.

A total of 3235 cleft lip and cleft palate patients were operated and repaired by the Myanmar specialists in cooperation and collaboration with the surgical teams from Germany, USA, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Korea, Belgium and Austria. Myanmar team alone performed 4646 cleft lip and cleft palate patients with the support of Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association.

Treating and curing a disease is not a total care. It must be rehabilitated to complete recovery and to attain to the pre-disease condition. After treating and stabilizing a stroke, the patient must be rehabilitated to a level in which he or she is able to perform ordinary movements such as walking without aids. Rehabilitation is an important part of the medical care process.