Myanmar

The Myanmar health sector has faced enormous challenges and pressures since the military coup in February 2021. Health services from public health hospitals have been disrupted. Many development assistance programmes and health projects of international organisations have been halted. As a result of the uncertain political situation, the Cambridge Yangon Trauma Intervention Partnership (CYTIP) that has been running since 2013 also has had to cease activities.

CGHP has created teaching and clinical management video clips. These are short and social media friendly so can be watched by health care professionals in Myanmar. This video tutorial project is in partnership with Royal College of Paediatrician and Child Health (RCPCH).

Since the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, health professionals involved in Health Partnerships between the UK and Myanmar have come together to support colleagues on the frontline of the response. Guided by the principles of medical neutrality, more than 50 organisations are involved in activities across four areas: medical education and quality improvement, communications, advocacy, fundraising.

CYTIP – The Cambridge Yangon Trauma Intervention Partnership

Inspired by Dr Thinn Thinn Hlaing, a Burmese doctor living in the UK, this partnership is designed to address Myanmar’s devastatingly high volume of trauma cases – the majority of which are linked to road traffic accidents, a leading cause of death among those under the age of 40.

Improving patient care from the point of injury through to rehabilitation our train-the-trainer model, has helped 1,000 health professionals in Myanmar acquire new trauma management skills. We have also enabled multidisciplinary team working, with nursing, physiotherapy and medics coming together to work on complex trauma cases. Partners in Yangon have also been working with the Cambridge team to develop a new national trauma pathway, ensuring patients have improved outcomes following trauma. 

This health partnership activity is currently on hold due to severe disruption in the health services.

Video tutorials

In Myanmar, medical schools are closed and many emergency care settings and public hospitals are not open. Therefore, we have developed a wide range of  video clips (available to watch here) for medical students and health care professionals, to aid them in managing emergency cases and on the frontline of conflict. The low bandwidth short videos are uploaded to YouTube and shared on Facebook and Telegram Channels. Working with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), CGHP has so far arranged two video tutorial filming sessions. These took place in August and November 2021. The next tutorial is planned in January 2022.

This project also enables Burmese diaspora and CUH staff to exchange learning and experiences. Additionally, this enables Burmese health care professionals and health care professionals in the UK to work collaboratively, facilitating improved team working across the NHS.  Our achievements to date:

• 6 medical and surgery specialist areas
• Filmed 58 video clips
• Viewed the videos nearly 19,000 times
• 14 Burmese diaspora doctors and 14 UK doctors and nurses participated

We are really appreciative of what Cambridge clinicians are able to offer our own health professionals as we strive and invest to ensure safer and better care for all patients in our country. We hope that the friendship between the Ministry of Health, Myanmar, and Cambridge will continue to thrive for our mutual benefit and understanding, to uplift the health status of the people living in Myanmar.

Professor Pe Thet Khin Minister of Health, Myanmar 2014