Naga village across int’l border faces medical crisis amid political turmoil

May 31, 2024 2 Views No Comment

Pounyiu a Khiamniungan Naga village in NSAZ Myanmar battling rising typhoid & TB cases

P Achumse Yingbithongru
Pangsha | May 31

Tucked away from the mundane world of modernity, residents of Pounyiu village, an indigenous of Khiamniungan Naga tribe village in the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Myanmar (NSAZ) Myanmar, is not only confronting an uncertain political future, but silent health crisis.

Due of abysmal lack of medical facilities, there alarming rise in typhoid and tuberculosis (TB) cases, residents informed.

Pachong resident of Pounyiu village told The Morung Express that before political movement started in Myanmar, they wereatleast gettingsome medical care from the government, however, after the democracy movement took off, things has completely collapse as there is literally no doctors and nurse available.

Basic medical facilities have resulted in a sharp increase in typhoid and TB cases leading to rising number of high mortality rate in the village, he maintained.

Before, TB was extremely prevalent in thevillage which constitute the leading cause of death; however, now it has been brought under control to some extend through medical camp, treatment, and medicine, we received through medical camp organized by doctors and well-wishers from Nagaland.

Doctors told us high number of tuberculosis case in our village was linked to unhygienic living style, poor personal hygiene, open defecation, and contaminated water, so we took all those measures as doctors advised us and today though we are still struggling with the diseases, it is not as fatal as before’ he said.

Wonthai, another resident of the village said ‘typhoid, cough, and malaria have become the main disease confronting the village made even worse because of the non-existence of healthcare infrastructure, medicine, and resources available to diagnose and treat the disease at the early stage,

‘even for basic healthcare we go to Pangsha, Noklak, Tuensang and Mokokchung for medical check-up and to treat serious case and as per medical report literally all symptoms points todetection of high number typhoid in our village which we don’t understand why it is becoming so prevalent in our village’ he adds.

He said apart from rampant case of tuberculosis and typhoid, other disease such as malaria, cough, and gastric are some healthcare concerns that is affecting the village further compounded by scarcity of medicine to treat these illnesses.

He said whatever medicine we have we get it from Pangsha and Noklak as it is not possible for us to get medicine here in Myanmar.

Making an appeal to naga brothers and medical fraternity in Nagaland to donate medicine,he said what we need most at the moment is medicine which is so dire here in Pounyiu village and surrounding Naga villages to treat these rather preventable diseases that is having huge impact on the lives of villagers living across the border.