After the junta bombed the People’s Hospital in Mrauk-U Town, Arakan (Rakhine) State, other Arakan State hospitals no longer dare to operate openly for fear of being targeted, forcing them to relocate or operate as mobile units, making it increasingly difficult for local people to access healthcare.
The inability to operate hospitals in proper locations, combined with difficult transportation, communication breakdowns, and insufficient medicines, poses serious challenges for patients in need of emergency treatment.
“After the bombing of Mrauk-U Hospital, getting healthcare has become really tough. This hospital was a major medical center that the people of Arakan depended on. Because Mrauk-U is easy to reach, many patients relied on it. But after the airstrike, accessing care has become much more difficult for everyone,” said a patient from Arakan State’s Rathedaung Township.
The AA has called on international and humanitarian organizations to donate as much medicine and medical equipment as possible to help patients following the junta’s attack on Mrauk-U Hospital. Mrauk-U Town has been under AA control since February 8, 2024.
According to the United League of Arakan (ULA), the political wing of the AA, the airstrike on December 10 completely halted all healthcare services at Mrauk-U Hospital, causing severe hardship for emergency patients and even deaths due to lack of timely medical care.
“Getting treatment elsewhere is really hard because transportation is difficult and expensive. Living and food costs are also high. Some patients just can’t afford to get the medical care they need,” the patient from Rathedaung said.
After the junta bombed Mrauk-U Hospital on December 10, International Human Rights Day, other hospitals in Arakan State no longer dare to operate in fixed locations, and some have closed entirely over security concerns. The brutal airstrike, in which junta aircraft dropped at least two bombs, killed at least 33 people and injured around 80, while also destroying hospital wards, operating theaters, and nearby homes. The attack has drawn strong condemnation from the international community.
War-torn Arakan State is also facing severe shortages of goods and medicine because of the junta’s strict blockades.
“The hospital bombing is really devastating and has made life very hard for the people of Arakan. Health is so important, but now there’s no hospital to rely on. Health issues can happen anytime, some people might have minor illnesses, and others could be emergency cases. But now, even if people are sick, they don’t dare go to clinics or hospitals because they’re afraid of airstrikes,” said a Mrauk-U resident.
Now, patients live with the constant fear of being bombed by junta aircraft while trying to get the treatment they need at hospitals.
The junta has been conducting airstrikes in Arakan State, targeting civilian areas such as schools, monasteries, hospitals, and refugee camps.
