NANG SENG NOM — Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) providing emergency help for the injured in northern Shan State want 24 hour access to an area restricted in the evening.

Authorities don’t allow vehicles to cross the Yayo checkpoint after 9:30 pm, preventing ambulances from reaching those requiring emergency medical assistance around Hsenwi until 6 am the following morning.

Sai Pha, from the Anai Mae Kutho, told SHAN his organization was recently prevented from transporting a patient injured in a car accident over the checkpoint by ambulance.  

“We were trying to transfer the patient to a Lashio CSO that will take them to Mandalay but when we arrived at the Yaypu checkpoint authorities did not allow the ambulance to cross,” Sai Pha told SHAN.

The patient had to be carried across by stretcher.

Sai Win Myint, who lives in Lashio, understands authorities need to restrict vehicles at night but he wants the ambulances to be allowed to cross.

What will happen when a pregnant woman needs emergency help and she can’t be sent to the hospital, he asked.

In the remote areas of Myanmar medical services are limited if there are available at all. In response, the community has banded together and formed organizations to fill in the gaps by providing emergency services to save lives.

SHAN contacted the Hsenwi police station for comment about the Yayo checkpoint but no one responded.

The Yaypu checkpoint was reopened in 2017 to prevent illegal trade, illicit drug and arms trafficking in the area.