The military regime has ordered a private hospital in Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, to shut for three months for employing doctors who were arrested last year for allegedly going on strike from the public health care system.
Mingalar Hospital—one of the largest private hospitals in Mandalay—treats cancer patients, pregnant women and newborns, among others.
“We are not accepting new patients now,” employees of the hospital said. Current and returning patients are being referred to other hospitals, they added.
The hospital has been ordered to shut for three months from August 25 for allegedly employing two specialists from the public healthcare system who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) following the 2021 coup.
The employee of the hospital described the move as “retroactive punishment,” explaining: “They ordered the closure of the hospital over the two CDM specialists who were arrested last year. It seems that the punishment was retroactive.”
Located in Maha Aungmyay Township, the hospital has about 700 staff, including specialists, surgeons, and nurses.
A CDM doctor said the closure was “was not a good sign.” Patients will have trouble receive treatment, the doctor said.
A source close to the hospital’s owner said he “has ties to U T Khun Myat, and there won’t be further punishment after the temporary closure.”
T Khun Myat served as speaker of Myanmar’s Lower House under the now ousted National League for Democracy government. He continues to serve in the same position under the regime though there is no parliament as the junta cancelled the results of the 2020 general elections.
The hospital is a unit of the Kachin National Development and Progress Company (KNDPC), which operates jade mines in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township, and has close ties with Myanmar military, the source added.
The hospital’s closure confused him.
“There must be a reason behind the closure because the hospital is operated by KNDPC and shareholders who are close to the current regime,” he said.
The junta launched an inspection campaign of private hospital and clinics to root out CDB doctors and nurses. Private hospital have been sealed off and their owners for allegedly employing CDM doctors and nurses from the public sector.
On December 24 and 25 last year, Dr Win Khaing—a urologist at Nandaw Hospital—and two X-ray technicians from Myodaw Hospital were arrested by the regime. It ordered temporary closures of most popular private hospitals in Mandalay, including Myodaw, Nandaw, Kantkaw, Htet Nay Lin and Sein Pin hospitals of December 31.
In May, the junta’s heath ministry revoked the licenses of three more hospitals in Mandalay—Myodaw, Nandaw and Kantkaw—for allegedly violating Private Health Care Services Law.
More than 40 striking health workers, including specialists, doctors and nurses, were arrested in October and November last year. Striking nurse Daw Poe Thandar Aung was arrested for allegedly providing medical supplies to People’s Defense Forces.
She died in interrogation.
