General Health Care

                 The State -owned 10 hospitals, 13 regional clinics, 17 private hospitals and 205 private clinics take care of the public health. A national blood bank also  exists here.

                 The State - owned hospitals are Mandalay General Hospital, Mandalay Children Hospital, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Tuberculosis Hospital, Central Women Hospital, 300 bedded Training Hospital, Psychiatrist Hospital, Workers Hospital, Infectious Diseases Hospital and Traditional Medicine Hospital.

                 Mandalay City Development Committee has been undertaking systematic measures in daily, weekly special voluntary street by street cleaning work with the co-operation of the people of quarters, offices, departments and schools in accordance with the implementation of Health City Plan.

Expansion of Health Care

Twelve specialists -physician, surgeon, pediatrician, obstetrician & gynecologist, anesthetist, orthopedist, eye specialist, ear, nose & throat specialist, pathologist, radiologist, psychiatrist, and dental surgeon -were posted at each of Myitkyina, Loikaw, Pa-an, Haka, Monywa, Dawei, Bago, Pyay, Magwe, Mawlamyine, Sittwe, Taunggyi, Kyaington, Lashio and Pathein Hospitals, all of which are state/ division level hospitals. Furthermore, 282, posts for specialists were created at 48 district-level hospitals. In addition to conventional X-ray machines, modem instruments such as Ultra Sound, E.C.G; Angiogram, Endoscope and C. T Scan (Computerized Tomography) are being installed at hospitals. A modem diagnostic instrument called M.R.I (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was installed at the new Yangon General Hospital in July 1996. The epilepsy centre was opened in front of the Neuro Medical Department building in November 1997. The Department of Health cooperates with international organizations and non-government organizations to look after the health of the people. In several instances, Orbis International visited Myanmar since 1997. Members of the flying hospital jointly performed operations and exchanged knowledge with Myanmar eye specialists and other health professionals on the occasion.

Health Services in Myanmar

The main aim of the health services in Myanmar is to provide comprehensive health care to the people. The main areas of service delivery and support activities can be categorized broadly as;

1. Promotive and Preventive Services

2. Curative Services

3. Traditional Medicare .:

4. Research Mt,

5. Human Resources for Health

6. Financing Health

Sharing Costs on Health Services

The cost-sharing mechanism on health services was initiated at four State general hospitals beginning March 1993. It is now been practiced in 155 town- ships. Laboratories where patients were required to pay to a certain extent for the services rendered were opened at the Yangon General Hospital on 1 January 1993. There are now 35 hospitals which facilitate paid medical services and diagnostic and laboratory tests. The childhood development project that extended to the grassroots level began in 1992. By 1994-95, it has already covered all townships in the country. The border area health project was initiated in 1989. It has now covered 227 townships. Myanmar began to implement the birth spacing programmed in nine town- ships in 1991 with the support of Family Planning International. It now covers 117 townships and among them United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and United Nations Development Programmed (UNDP) support the activities in 72 and 36 townships respectively.

Maternal and Child Health

In Myanmar, more than sixty percent of total population is women and children who are the most vulnerable groups. Maternal and child health is the internal part of comprehensive health care delivery system. Focusing on the strength of basic health staff in cooperation with the various types of voluntary health workers, local administrative authorities, NGOs and the community, the health programmed  has put more emphasis on improvement of quality.

Medical Research

The Department of Medical Research carries out and supports the research programmed mentioned below.

Interaction between nutrition and nutrition bacteria, malaria, snakebite, hepatitis, HIV /AIDS, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), Myanmar sports, diarrhea, physiology, indigenous medicine, reproductive health, respiratory diseases, health system and epidemic.

Malaria Research

Research in Myanmar concerning malaria has focused on resistance of malarial protozoa against medicines and attack of malarial on congenital anemia (sickle cell anemia). In Myanmar, there are three kinds of protozoa that can cause malaria. Falsiparum is prevalent in hill regions. It can be resistant to anti-malarial medicines and cause encephalitis. A virus causes the second highest incidence of malaria. It was discovered in 1993 that it had become chloroquine-resistant. The rate of incidence of malaria is still low at present.

Snakebite Research

Research has been done on snakebites and farmers have been advised to do first aid in times of snakebites. Boots and gloves that can protect farmers from penetration of the snakes' fangs have been made on an experimental basis. Farmers from certain townships such as Taungdwingyi and Taikkyi are wearing them at work.

Viral Hepatitis Research

Research findings have shown that in Myanmar hepatitis A,B,C and E have been either widespread or prevalent in certain areas from time to time.

Vaccines are being produced to check hepatitis A, B and E viruses. Research on hepatitis C virus is being done with hepatitis patients as well as among the people.

As hepatitis B vaccine produced on a preliminary basis through WHO and UNDP support met the WHO standards, more vaccines are being produced now.

Traditional Medicine Research

The Pharmacy Division has been paying its emphasis on the research of botanical features, chemical contents and medicinal values of medicinal plants in Myanmar. It is mentioned in the government's policies on primary health care of the people that research is to be done on indigenous medicines so that they will be on par with western medicines. Accordingly, dosage for 48 kinds of indigenous medicine has been standardized and their efficacy tested.

The Department of Traditional Medicine

There are nine Traditional Medicine hospitals. They all give medical treatment to both in and out-patient. The number of traditional medicine clinics was increased from 14 in 1988 to 202 in 2000.

Institute of Traditional Medicine, Mandalay

The Mandalay Institute of Traditional Medicine opened on 3 January 1976. From its 18 intakes, it has turned out 895 traditional medical practitioners by 1997. Graduates receive certificates on diploma in traditional medicine. The institute accepts 100 matriculates every year.

The Myanmar Traditional' Medical Practitioner's Conference

It was held at Pyidaungsu Hall in Kyaikkasan Grounds on 15-17 December 2001. The Traditional Medical Practitioners were presented 21 papers at this conference and there was an exhibition of traditional medicines and products.The first conference was held in 1989. in 2000 and 2001 it's promotion.

Factories that Produce Traditional Medicines

Yangon and Mandalay factories produce indigenous medicines. In addition to the medicines for use at their hospitals and clinics they also produce nine kinds of medicine.