2015 S.E.ASIA MISSION INDIA BURMA BORDER

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Leslie Higgins
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1 2015 S.E.ASIA MISSION INDIA BURMA BORDER Champhai Clinic Zokhawthar Medical Mercy (ZMM) Centre Since 2004, Medical Mercy Canada Society has supported 2 health care facilities on the India Burma border. Until MMC began its support to this area, there was no access to health care for the thousands of Chin refugee / migrant workers coming across the border from Chin State, Burma into India. The people came into India seeking refuge from the oppressive and brutal military regime in Burma and also seeking work and an education for their children. They were all extremely poor and carried all their worldly possessions on their backs. It was a struggle for the families to earn enough to feed their families. Health care from the India health care system was not affordable. In 2004.MMC was invited and begged by concerned residents of Chin descent to come to set up health care facilities in Mizoram State, India. They had lived there for a generation and they saw the dire need for health care services for the people coming from Burma. The Champhai clinic is located in the small town of Champhai, 1 1/4 hour drive from the border. It operates on the top floor of a rented house. There is a staff of 3; a male nurse, a female midwife / pharmacy technician / office administrator, a janitor/security man. The financial support given to the clinic by MMC in 2014 was $7,800 CAD. These funds paid salaries, bought medicines, paid utilities and rent, and paid for medicines and travel costs for the staff to perform mobile clinics to up to 5 villages twice a month. The services of this clinic are essential to the well-being of the poor migrant workers living in Champhai & surrounding tiny hamlets. Our visit to Champhai clinic in 2015 was short. We arrived after an 8 hour drive from the capital city of Mizoram State, Aizawl, where the airplane lands from Kolkata, India. The clinic had just closed, when we arrived. We learned that the male nurse had fallen ill 2 weeks earlier, but patient visits were continuing, coming to the clinic for refills on their medicines or follow-up on illnesses. We stayed overnight in Champhai then drove to Zokhawthar the next morning. The drive from Champhai to Zokhawthar is only 27 Km but the roads are windy and very bumpy so travel takes 1 1/4 hours, at least. We are driven in a strong Range Rover style vehicle 1

2 called a Sumo. During the rainy season, this is the only type of vehicle that can navigate the muddy, slippery roads through the high hills, all over Mizoram State and Burma. We arrived in Zokhawthar by 10am and went straight to the Zokhawthar Tourist Lodge where we would be staying for 5 nights. The staff at the ZMM Centre were very happy to see us. When we did not visit in 2014 (due to India Visa issues) they worried that MMC would not support the centre anymore. We assured them that even if we could not visit, MMC would continue to support the operation of ZMM Centre. The staff consists of: Dr. John Jangminlal primary care physician Emily Siampuii pharmacy technician Roengi midwife / nurse Lalnunkil (Kiltie) health care worker / nursing assistant (1 year training in Burma) Thomas Vanthawan Lab technician Sui Thang janitor, gardener, yard keeper, security. Dr. John just began working at the ZMM Centre on 5 January. Prior to that, the centre did not have a doctor for 2 months because Dr. Sangte, who had been there for 3 years, had to return home to Burma to care for his ailing parents. Dr. John is 24 years old and single. His father died when he was young. He is the youngest of 5 children. Two of his siblings live in Delhi. His mother lives in Tamu (near Imphal) with his other 2 siblings. He entered medical school at the young age of 16 and studied for 6 years at University of Magway in Magway, Burma. After finishing medical school, he worked at a government hospital in Taungkyi, Shan State for 1 year. Following that, he worked in a private clinic for 9 months in Tedim Town, Chin State, Burma. The villagers are just getting to know Dr. John but the staff really like him and observe that he is compassionate, very thorough and patient with his patients. MMC is confident that he will be well accepted by the community and patients who come from surrounding villages for treatment. Dr. John with mother and her sick boy Dr. John examines baby At a meeting we had with the staff of the medical centre, we asked them individually what concerns they had on a day to day basis while working at the centre. Dr. John is new so the only observation he has made is that during the rainy season, when there are a lot of sick people, he could have kept 2 nurses busy. Right now there is only 1 nurse employed at the centre. He would also like a proper autoclave. Presently, they use a large pressure cooker to sterilize their instruments. 2

Emily, pharmacist technician, is quite distressed that the

She is so compassionate and feels so sorry for the poor

across the river / border to Burma, where medicines are

children who likely only eat once a day.

3 Emily, Thomas and Dr. John examine the pressure cooker & test its working ability. Emily, pharmacist technician, is quite distressed that the centre runs out of medicines before the end of the year. She is so compassionate and feels so sorry for the poor families who cannot afford to buy medicine that she goes across the river / border to Burma, where medicines are cheaper and buys medicines out of her meagre salary, to dispense to poor patients. Emily dispenses medicines to a very young mother of 2 children who likely only eat once a day. Roengi, the midwife, is concerned about using the old, unstable delivery bed in the centre. She would rather deliver babies in the homes, on the floor. MMC realizes the need for a new delivery bed. Roengi stands in the labor and delivery room at ZMM Medical Centre. A new delivery bed is needed badly. 3

4 Thomas, lab technician, is concerned that he cannot read malaria test slides under his microscope because the light bulb is burned out. He showed us the box which contained the bulb. The bulb is from Canada. We sent a message to MMC office in Canada to purchase 2 bulbs and mail them quickly to ZMM Medical Centre. Thomas analyses a blood sample -young man has liver disease. No Kap, the staff and Elaine We asked the staff each 2 questions. 1. What is your biggest problem? 2. What is your biggest joy? Problems included the handling and treatment of alcoholics who abuse the staff verbally, spit and smoke even though signs forbidding that are posted outside and inside the building. Biggest joys were expressed with enthusiasm Sui Thang The harmony and cooperation amongst the staff in helping each other and the patients. - Thankful to have a job to support her family. Kiltie The chance to increase her nursing skills and experience. She feels she is truly making a difference in the lives of the refugees. Thomas The visits from the MMC team on an annual basis. - Having a nice building in which to work. - When he discovers, through a blood test, what is wrong with the patient. Emily Observing patients recover from serious illness. Dr. John When many patients come for treatment. A visit to the State of Mizoram in India is unlike a visit to any other part of India. It is a mountainous State with many rivers. The soil is rocky and poor for agriculture. The roads that run through the province are narrow, poorly kept, winding and rough. However, that is where most of the people chose to live because they are refugees and do not own land, so they camp and build their villages on the sides of the roads. 4

5 Families build their house, hang the clothes to dry, cook and tend their gardens all alongside the roads through Mizoram State. The people also work on the side of the road. When they cannot get jobs in the towns and capital city, they can always find employment breaking rocks into gravel. They earn 50 India Rupees for every bag of gravel they produce. Men, women and children are employed breaking rocks. Child in blue sweater drags a bag of gravel to her mother. Life is especially difficult for young, uneducated mothers who must walk to the nearest water reservoir to access water to wash the family clothes. She must take her young children with her and watch for their safety as she washes clothes. 5

6 Young mother washes clothes and tends baby at public water reservoir. Children of Zokhawthar play while mothers do their daily tasks. CHILDREN OF MIZORAM STATE 6

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8 Providing health care for children is part of building a healthy community. MMC endeavors to do this in Zokhawthar, the village of Burmese refugees and migrant workers, right on the border of Burma and India. The villagers can hardly earn enough wages to feed and clothe their families. That is why it is important for MMC to fund the salaries of the health care team, medicines, lab supplies and some medical equipment for the Zokhawthar Medical Mercy Medical Centre. Thank you, Canadian donors, for your continued support! 1. Delivery Bed 10,000 INR or $220 CAD 2. Clothes washing machine for medical centre linens & some patient clothes. 18,000 INR or $390 CAD. 3. I.V.poles 1,500 INR or $35 CAD 4. Patient beds 3000 INR or $70 CAD 5. Hospital quality mattress 3,500 INR or $75 CAD FUND A NEED Items for India Project 6. Indoor toilets 230,000 INR or $5,000 CAD a) 2 toilets ( 1 Western style, 1 squat style) b) Sinks, Bath / shower room c) Laundry room d) Cleaning supply room e) 1 Hot water heater f) Plumbing for toilets g) Septic tank 8

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