Patients in Three Pagoda Pass Border Rely on NMSP's Hospital

Joi Htaw, Independent Mon News Agency

July 8, 2005

In the beginning of this rainy season, when the poor people from several villages in Three Pagoda Pass Township suffer from various type of diseases, they just take medical care in Palaing-Japan (literally Japanese Well) village hospital, which is operated by New Mon State Party's Health Department and supplied by Medicins Sans Frontier (MSF), said the local villagers.

“The people are talking how the good care in this hospital, therefore, we came here. Yes, it is really good as the nurses are taking care the patients the whole night, provide medicines on time and operate surgery properly” said Mr. San Maung, who came from other village and has received medical treatment, after his foot was bitten by a tropical ground insect, which is called as Khuu Kaung.

First he took treatment in a clinic in Three Pagoda Pass Town by paying 400 Baht* to the clinic, but his foot was not better and injury enlarged. Then the clinic advised him to treat in a Thailand's provincial hospital in order to have surgery and take X-ray in there, explained Mr. Maung.

“If I was late to come here for one or two days, my foot must be cut. But I arrived this hospital on time and the Medics operated my injuries and cut off my spoil fresh. Now my foot became better”, said Mr. Maung.

Another elder woman explained that, “I treated my baby at a clinic (in Three Pagoda Pass) and I have to pay 100 Baht for each injection. But the condition is not better, and therefore I came here to test in this hospital”.

There is a motorcycle transport between Three Pagoda Pass Town and Palaing-Japan village, the patients or villagers have to pay 40 Baht per head.

The Palaing-Japan hospital is supervised by the Mon medics and medical supplies and other equipment are supported by an international NGO, Medicins Sans Frontier.

The Supervisor Ms. Chay Mon said, “As our hospital is treating the patients in free of charge, many poor people in the area have come here for various treatments”.

In the past, as some non-Mon ethnic people in the area believed the hospital is a Mon rebel's hospital and they did not want to prefer to come and take medical treatment. But later as the communication became better, the people in whole area understood how the fair treatment of the medics in the hospital and then they agreed to come, said the hospital's supervisor.

She also added that among the 50 patients in the hospital, only 5 of them came from Palaing-Japan village and the remaining came from various villages and Three Pagoda Pass Town. They are different ethnic people of Mon, Karen, Lao-Thai, Tavoyan and Burman. Most of them are migrated workers and displaced persons because of poverty and armed conflict.

The medics in hospital received 50-70 OPD patients each day and some of them who suffer from Malaria and Tuberculosis have to take treatment for several days as IPD patients in hospital. The hospital receives the patients regardless of their race, religion and money they have.

* Editor Note: The Burman and other ethnic who stay along Thailand-Burma border always prefer to use Thai currency, Baht, even they are in Burma territory.