Coronavirus South-east Asia

People dying at home in Myanmar as hospitals can't cope

Distrust of junta, economic crisis sparked by coup, lack of testing and vaccines add to woes

Volunteers from the Shwe Yaung Mitter Foundation transporting a coffin with a Covid-19 victim at Sittwe Hospital in Rakhine to the cemetery earlier this month. The World Health Organisation had flagged the risk of a worsening outbreak in Myanmar as e
Volunteers from the Shwe Yaung Mitter Foundation transporting a coffin with a Covid-19 victim at Sittwe Hospital in Rakhine to the cemetery earlier this month. The World Health Organisation had flagged the risk of a worsening outbreak in Myanmar as early as May, noting how "Covid-19-related activities on surveillance and contact tracing, laboratory testing, case management, and vaccinations are currently disrupted". PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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On July 5, Mr Maung Min (not his real name) suddenly felt breathless and struggled to move his limbs. The 59-year-old military veteran was rushed by relatives to a public hospital in Yangon, only to be turned away because they had arrived "too late" in the afternoon.

The family next tried a military hospital, where Mr Maung Min tested positive for Covid-19, along with all six of his accompanying relatives. But the hospital would admit only him. His infected relatives were told to go home, The Straits Times heard from his nephew, who declined to be named.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 14, 2021, with the headline People dying at home in Myanmar as hospitals can't cope. Subscribe