Wednesday 4 September 2013

Bagan Medical Clinic: March 2013

The 'Road to Mandalay' charity opened the Free Medical Clinic in Bagan on 6th August 2011. Details about the early months can be found in a series of earlier posts 'Free Medical Clinic in Bagan' - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. My visit in September 2012 is described in the post The Bagan Clinic. I was in Bagan again on Friday 15th February, 2013 and there's a little about visiting the Clinic in my post Bagan with photographs here.

March 2013

The following report is based on information from Doctor Hla Tun, who also supplied the photographs.

The Bagan Clinic treated an amazing 3,013 patients in March 2013, bringing the total number of treatments since the Clinic opened on 6th August 2011 to 52,863.

Over 80% of the patients travel distances between 30 km and 150 km to reach the Free Clinic at Bagan. A few patients travel between 150 km and 170 km to attend! For this reason, a free lunch is provided for patients.



Some of the more notable conditions presenting in March included:-



This elderly lady was referred to hospital with a dislocated hip. The clinic made a donation for the necessary transportation and accommodation.



This young girl suffered from stiffness of the right hand. After being treated twice in the Bagan Clinic, she could passively move her right hand with assistance from her left hand.



This 10 year old girl suffers from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and needs to be treated with fresh blood transfusion every 3 to 4 weeks. For a single transfusion, her parents need around 50 US Dollars for transportation, fee and hospitalization and the necessary blood tests prior to transfusion. The clinic made a donation to the girl's mother for blood transfusion. The clinic can directly provide medication for vitamin, minerals and liver support.

Treatment Summary

The table below summarises the number of treatments per month and the total number of treatments since the clinic started.

Month Patients treated Total treatments
August 2011 355 355
September 2011 784 1,139
October 2011 1,434 2,573
November 2011 1,723 4,296
December 2011 2,013 6,309
January 2012 1,605 7,889
February 2012 2,464 10,353
March 2012 4,603 14,956
April 2012 2,043 16,999
May 2012 - Jan 2013 To be added To be added
February 2013 2,713 49,850
March 2013 3,013 52,863


More Photographs

Free Clinic in Bagan.
Around the Bagan Free Clinic.
Bagan Medical Clinic (2013).

Bagan Medical Clinic: February 2013

The 'Road to Mandalay' charity opened the Free Medical Clinic in Bagan on 6th August 2011. Details about the early months can be found in a series of earlier posts 'Free Medical Clinic in Bagan' - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. My visit in September 2012 is described in the post The Bagan Clinic. I was in Bagan again on Friday 15th February, 2013 and there's a little about visiting the Clinic in my post Bagan with photographs here.

February 2013

The following report is based on information from Doctor Hla Tun, who also supplied the photographs.

The Bagan Clinic treated 2713 patients in February 2013, bringing the total number of treatments since the Clinic opened on 6th August 2011 to 49,850. Some of the more unusual conditions presenting included:-



This 30 year old patient first came to the clinic on 22nd February 2013 from her village about 17 km south of Bagan with severe memory loss. For ten months she had been unable to name her children or recognise neighbours. Happily, following treatment, she returned to the clinic on the 8th March, able to respond to any question and name her three children and their ages.



Most patients have had to travel to reach the clinic, sometimes considerable distances. With the co-operation of the local Monastery and the 'Road to Mandalay' ship, a free lunch is served to waiting patients.



This 12 year old boy was diagnosed with congenital hyperlipidemia. The clinic treated him with cholesterol-lowering agents but he was referred to hospital for further management of the condition.

A four year old boy had a congenital hernia with hypospasdias (an abnormally placed urinary meatus). This boy was referred to hospital for surgery.

In a number of cases, the clinic donated funds to poor patients for transport and accommodation where hospitalisation was necessary.

Treatment Summary

The table below summarises the number of treatments per month and the total number of treatments since the clinic started.

Month Patients treated Total treatments
August 2011 355 355
September 2011 784 1,139
October 2011 1,434 2,573
November 2011 1,723 4,296
December 2011 2,013 6,309
January 2012 1,605 7,889
February 2012 2,464 10,353
March 2012 4,603 14,956
April 2012 2,043 16,999
May 2012 - Jan 2013 To be added To be added
February 2013 2,713 49,850


More Photographs

Free Clinic in Bagan.
Around the Bagan Free Clinic.
Bagan Medical Clinic (2013).

Stationery Distribution in Taung Be School

This report is based on information from Doctor Hla Tun, who also supplied the photographs.

The work of the RTM Social Contribution, led by Doctor Hla Tun, is ongoing and distribution of stationery to schools is carried out regularly.

On 1st March 2013 stationery was distributed to 216 students at Taung Be Village Post Primary School. In 2001, RTM Social Contribution donated a school building with 2 classrooms. There are 278 pupils studying Grades 1 to 8 at the school, but not all were present on the 1st March.

Five groups of students put on a School Concert of singing and dancing for the visitors.

Students wearing Shan Traditional Costumes singing and dancing Shan songs.

Students wearing Myanmar Traditional Costumes singing and dancing Myanmar songs.

Stationery distribution comprised 3 exercise books, 4 pencils and a ruler for each student present.

Taung Be Post Primary School: Stationery distribution.

Photographs

You can find these and more photographs of the Education Support work in Burma in 2013 here.

Pencils for Kids

This report is based on information from Dr. Hla Tun, who also supplied the photographs.

'Pencils for Kids' is a Canadian charity dedicated to improving educational opportunities for children. You can find details on their website here. Although their initial focus was Niger, their success has allowed them to expand into other areas.

In March 2013, a group from the charity visited Myanmar to donate Backpacks to 350 orphans, single parent students and poor students in and around Yangon. Doctor Hla Tun assisted the group with the distribution of the Backpacks at four orphanages and one school. Each backpack includes exercise books, ball point pens, pencils, eraser, marker pen, coloured pencils, crayon, drawing book, ruler, pencil sharpener, toothbrush and pencil case, together with either school uniform or, for nuns, a robe.

Members of the 'Pencils for Kids' group joined the 'Road to Mandalay' from March 20th to March 23rd and, on March 22nd, they distributed reading glasses to the elderly outside the Bagan Medical Clinic.

Group picture after delivering backpacks to 174 students at a Monastic School at a Nunnery in Yangon area.

'Pencils for Kids' members also brought reading glasses for elderly patients at the Bagan Medical Clinic. They made a trial by wearing and reading a newspaper or journal.

Patients wearing new spectacles pose with 'Pencils for Kids' members in front of the Bagan Medical Clinic.

Photographs

You can find these and more photographs of the work of the Bagan Clinic in 2013 here.

Education Support in Burma, 2013

This report is based on information from Doctor Hla Tun, who also supplied the photographs.

The work of the RTM Social Contribution, led by Doctor Hla Tun, is ongoing and distribution of stationery to schools is carried out regularly.

On March 9 2013, two donors from Australia visited Htee Pu Village near Mount Popa with Doctor Hla Tun.

It takes about an hour from Bagan by car to get to Htee Pu. There are about 220 students from Grade 1 to 9 in the school where not only local students but also students from neighboring villages can attend up to Grade 9. The Education authorities upgraded the school from Post-Primary school to Secondary school in 2010. Htee Pu itself has around 238 houses and a population of about 1018.

The donors performed the Opening Ceremony on a new school building which they had donated. In addition, they donated stationery to a total of 235 students (15 students from a neighboring village were also present). Each student received 3 exercise books, 3 pencils, a bear from Australia and a ruler. Twenty-seven outstanding students from all Grades also received crayons, pens and pencils.

Donors cutting the ribbon during the opening ceremony.

Stationery distribution to 235 students.

Finally, there was a School Concert of singing and dancing, performed by six groups of students.

Traditional dance performed by 8 girl students with 2 boy students singing for the audience of students and visitors.

Photographs

You can find these and more photographs of the Education Support work in Burma in 2013 here.