Health workers from inside and outside Burma get together

Health organizations and non-governmental organizations from inside Burma and those based on the Thailand border attended a seminar on July 28 to review and plan for health services.

According to Mahn Mahn, the secretary of the seminar organizers, the Back Pack Heath Worker Team, by the discussed ways to adapt current health programs based along the border to fit into the country’s reform of its health system BPHWT.

Mahn Mahn said.

“We discussed how our heath programs compare with the country’s current system if there are reforms and the health system is improved.”

Mahn Mahn said that it is hard for heaths organizations to make exact project plans for their field operations. Despite the ceasefires there is still a need to find common agreements between the ethnic armed groups and the government, as there is still fighting in some areas.

Mahn Mahn told Karen News.

“We don’t want to rush our planning until we have common or certain agreement between the government and the ethnic groups. We must be careful not to get too far ahead or not to be left behind.”

A total of 70 representatives attended the two days seminar, these included delegates from the Karen, Mon, Shan, Karenni, Chin, Arakan, Pa’O and Palaung heath workers, BPHWT members, Burma Medical Association and various NGOs.

The seminar agreed on 14 points that included, holding a malaria and reproduction seminars in 2013, coordination of various health sectors and having a health service policy that is not have discriminatory and respects local culture.

Ms Susanna Hla Hla Soe, managing director of the Karen Women’s Action Group who was at the workshop told Karen News.

“It is good for heath workers from inside the country to meet with health workers and NGOs on the border to discuss issues that concern us like planning how we can cooperate with both groups to avoid duplication in our respective project areas.”

It is the first time that there has been a seminar that brought together health workers from inside and outside the country. Organiser said that the success of this year seminar has encouraged them to another seminar next year.