Rohingya Patients Abused and Discriminated at Maungdaw Public Hospital

March 01, 2022

Rohingya patients are being bused and discriminated by staff daily at Maungdaw District People’s Hospital, Rakhine State, patients’ attendants report.

A Malaria patient Rubina, a 17-year-old daughter of Sayed Alam, a native of Nyaung Chaung (Kadibil) village, south of Maungdaw, was admitted to Maungdaw District People’s Hospital in January for treatment.

After two weeks of treatment at the hospital, the patient’s health did not improve and the cost of medical treatment increased to 12 lakh Kyat, said a relative with condition of anonymity.

When asked for release, Mya Sandar, who is in charge of the hospital’s dispensary, asked for another 8 lakh Kyat from the patient’s mother, an attendant who replied, “I am too poor to pay the amount.”

Shouting to slap on her face, Mya Sandar insulted the attendant, “KOLA, an abusive and hatred word used for Rohingya, do not understand anything. If you do not pay, you will not be allowed to go out of the hospital.”

Mya Sandar has always been a discriminator against the Rohingya patients and their caregivers, the relative added.

A caregiver of a patient said,” My patient was hospitalized for operation under a surgeon. When a nurse told me to bring medicine, I had to queue for the medicine in front of Mya Sander’s room. It was as like as begging for alms bowing down the donor.”  

An eye witness said, “Once a person took medicine with wrong name and came again. She and her assistant secretary verbally abused her and no medicine was given at all.

“Even if they give medicine to Rohingyas, they have to collect it from the place where they throw because they do not give the medicine hand to hand.”

“Mya Sandar does not assume Rohingya people as human beings,” another eyewitness said.

Thus, some patients, who have recently been discharged from the hospital, appeal to the authorities concerned to take immediate action against Mya Sandar for her misbehavior towards patients.

Hindu gatekeepers on duty at the hospital’s rooms of surgeons and orthopedic surgeons are harassing Rohingyas too. The patient attendants said the doors would not be reopened if they are late to go in.

Sanitation workers are also disrespectful to Rohingya patients and their caregivers, according to town-dwellers.

Doctors did not pay attention to the patient Rubina because she had been suffering from malaria and was screaming like a cows and buffalos in the hospital.

She, eventually, got released from the hospital on February 3 and died on February 9. The family paid for her medical treatment by collecting charity from the villagers, a neighbor said.

Reported By: Maung Wunna

Edited By: Md. Shuaib