Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Bagan Medical Clinic, December 2013 & January 2014

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

The Bagan Clinic treated 3,387 patients in December 2013 and 3,501 patients in January 2014 bringing the total number of treatments since the Clinic opened on 6th August 2011 to 95,057.

Treatment Summary

The table below summarises the number of treatments per month in 2013 and the total number of treatments since the clinic opened on August 6, 2011.

Month Patients treated Total treatments
February 2013 2,713 49,850
March 2013 2,713 49,850
April 2013 2,061 54,924
May 2013 3,303 58,227
June 2013 5,586 63,813
July 2013 6,079 69,892
August 2013 5,337 75,229
September 2013 4,826 80,055
October 2013 3,647 83,702
November 2013 4,465 88,167
December 2013 3,387 91,554
January 2014 3,501 95,057

Monthly notes

The existing toilets were proving inadequate for the numbers of patients attending the Clinic but a local donor agreed to pay for a further 6 cubicles, helping to maintain a sanitary environment around the Clinic. The picture below shows the new facilities nearing completion.

New toilet block under construction at the Bagan Clinic.

On 14-Feb-2014 (Valentine's Day), about 82 pairs of reading glasses were distributed to patients over 60 years of age. There was no opthalmologist in attendance so, as previously, each patient selected a suitable pair by trial-and-error, reading a newspaper or the medical record book (issued by the Clinic to all patients).

Elderly patients choosing reading glasses by trial-and-error.

Local patients from the Bagan area represent less than 5% of patients attending. Patients travel anything from 30km to 250km to seek treatment. This involves staying one or two nights in the Monastery Compound and a new accommodation shelter for waiting patients is being constructed near the Clinic. The age range of patients varies from babies as young as 2 months old to elderly people over 80.

With the support of the Head Monk and the 'Road to Mandalay' river cruise ship, on Fridays and Saturdays up to 300 free lunches are given to waiting patients and their companions at 11:40. When possible, free dinners are also offered at 17:45 hours on Saturdays.

Distribution of free lunches.

There are a number of posts in this Blog on medical support in Myanmar provided by the RTM Social Contribution with help from donors around the world. You can find them all here.