“It’s been very nice to see how the Naga population is welcoming us and supporting us through their acceptance,” Dr Andrea Incerti, the medical coordinator of MSF Swizz, told me. “They see us as somebody that can help.” The team has faced challenges including the transport of generators, drugs, fridges and other materials, during the six months they’ve been operating, he said, but has been helped by the Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS) and people in the region. They focus on those lacking access to health care or in emergency situations and have been in Myanmar since 1992, with current projects in
Nagaland, Tanintharyi Region, Shan State, Kachin State and Yangon. Of all these locations, Lahe may be the least accessible. The Hkamti-Lahe road has improved, but “there are still so many isolated villages to which there are no roads,” said Dr Incerti. “We may have to walk for a couple of days to reach a completely isolated population, where there is no communication means.” Each Naga village has its own dialect, but despite these challenges, Dr Incerti is pleased with MSF’s progress, their main goals being to create a sustainable regional healthcare system that the MoHS can take over and to boost health awareness among the locals.
Local boys take a break from football. (James Fable)
“We may have to walk for a couple of days to reach a completely isolated population, where there is no communication means.”
MSF doctors talk with residents of a village in Nagaland.
MYANMORE magazine #16 February 2018
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