By Sayar Ngaat / MPA
Families of political prisoners in Myanmar have raised alarm over a severe shortage of medicines in prisons nationwide.
The prison hospital of the Thayarwaddy Prion in Bago Region has stopped providing medication to ill prisoners since early October 2024, according to a family member of a political prisoner detained in Thayarwaddy Prison.
“Those who seek medical treatment are no longer given medicine. Even painkillers like paracetamol are not being provided. We are worried about what will happen if a serious health issue arises,” the family member said.
Currently, political prisoners in Thayarwaddy Prison are limited in their access to traditional medicines packed in their care packages. The shortage of medicines inside the prison has resulted in the deaths of political prisoners, uplifting great concern among family members, explained the source.
Similarly, over 150 political prisoners have reportedly developed skin infections due to unsanitary conditions in Meiktila Prison. However, the prison is only providing expired or potentially ineffective medications, according to Ko Thaik Tun Oo, a steering committee member of the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar.
“They handed out medications, but the expiry dates were visible, so recently, they just distribute tablets so the expired date of the medicine cannot be checked,” he stated.
Throughout 2024, the prison authorities under the regime have imposed restrictions on the supply of medicines to prisoners, including political detainees, making it increasingly difficult to deliver necessary medical care. Subsequently, healthcare conditions within prisons have deteriorated significantly, according to the announcement of the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar on October 9.
Furthermore, U Ye Aung, a political prisoner in Dawei Prison, reportedly passed away on October 17, 2024, due to a paralytic stroke, having been denied adequate medical care, stated the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar.
Likewise, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the Chief Minister of Mandalay Region, passed away on October 7 in Mandalay’s Obo Prison due to insufficient medical treatment.
“As the revolution intensifies, the military’s oppression of political detainees is worsening. They have treated detainees as enemies from the beginning, denying basic human rights. We cannot forget those detained in prison,” stated a recently released detainee from Insein Prison.
Ko Nyi Nyi, a political prisoner in Thayet Prison, died on July 27, 2024, due to the lack of adequate medical treatment. A total of 12 political prisoners had died in custody between January 1 and September 30, 2024, due to insufficient medical care, the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar reported on October 1.
Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, up to October 30, 2024, a total of 27,610 people have been arrested, with 21,064 currently detained across Myanmar’s prisons, according to the records from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-AAPP.
