Tragic Lives of Rohingya IDP Without Access to Medical Treatment

M.S. Anwar | Article

November 11, 2013

Following the inhumane and heartless demands made by Rakhine extremists on 5^th November 2013 to ban Rohingya IDP in Arakan from having medical treatments in government hospitals, many Rohingya patients under critical health conditions were ousted from Sittwe General Hospital. Furthermore, nowadays, no Rohingya patient can get admission to the hospital no matter how serious he/she is. More or less, similar pattern of inhumane act against the weak and helpless Rohingyas is being practiced by the hospitals in other parts of Arakan as well.

However, the denial of medical access hit Rohingya IDP in Sittwe, Pauktaw and others the worst as they have been subjected to homelessness manufactured by the tyrannical government and savage Rakhine terrorists. They are forced to live in concentration camps. No proper shelter for them, no sufficent food, no clean drinking water and now, they no longer have access to medical treatment either. INGOs such as ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and MSF are also restricted from providing medical access to the displaced Rohingyas.

Below mentioned are some heartwrenching stories of Rohingya IDP.

Case #1

Abdur Rahim (son of) Muzir Meah (Age 51) was an internally displaced Rohingya lived at Thay-Camp in Sittwe Township. He had high-blood pressure and been in unconcious condition from 5^th November 2013 to 8^th November 2013. Unfortunately, he passed away at 2:23PM on 8^th November 2013 due to the lack of medical treatment. (Report by Sallam Oic Group)

Case #2

Eight-month-old twin brothers, Mohammed Hassan and Mohammed Hussain, are severely suffering from a form of ‘Obstructive Lung Disease.’ They are sons of U Mohammed Alam (father) and Daw Laila (mother), a displaced Rohingya family at the camps of ‘Rubber-Gwin’ in the village of ‘Da’-Paing’, Sittwe. No hospital or proper clinic for their treatments. (Report by Sallam Oic Group)

Eight-month-old twin brothers, Mohammed Hassan and Mohammed Hussain, are severely suffering from a form of ‘Obstructive Lung Disease.’ (Photo: Sallam Oic Group)

Case #3

Rabbi (son of) Iliyaas (Age 25), an internally displaced Rohingya at the camp of Thakkay-Pyin in Sittwe Township suffered from low-blood pressure and also apparently from Hematemesis. He subsequently lost conciousness. He is under critical health condition. Below is the picture of his relative trying to take him to NGO clinic by a trishaw. (Report by Sallam Oic Group)

Rabbi (son of) Iliyaas (Age 25) suffering from low-blood pressure and Hematemesis (Photo: Sallam Oic Group)

Case #4

At around 10:25AM on 4^th November 2013, a lorry (under the plate no. 7F/9199) driven by a Rakhine hit a Rohingya Trishaw at the bridge of Thay-Chaung injuring its (Rohingya) Trishaw-Rider and the passenger very badly. The trishaw-rider was Abul Hashim (son of) Amir Hussain (Age 30) and the passenger was Mohammed Ayub (son of) Abdu Shafie (age 38).

The injured Rohingyas were even not given access to hospital for treatment let alone taking action against the Rakhine lorry driver. Now, they are unable to move a bit. (Report by Sallam Oic Group)

The trishaw-rider that was hit by Rakhine Lorry (Photo: Sallam Oic Group)

The Rakhine Vehicle that hit Rohingya Trishaw-Rider (Photo: Sallam Oic Group)

There are untold number of similar tragic cases. Above-mentioned are just a few examples.

What more atrocities you can imagine of!! Isn’t it Nazi-style holocaust of Jews during WWII? I feel more than that because no official or government of any country has called what is happening against Muslims in Myanmar “a Genocide or Holocaust” yet. Media, either, refuse to name it “Genocide.” Isn’t it heartwrenching? If not, what is else then?

Sallam Oic Group is a team of grassroot activists in Arakan. M.S. Anwar is an activist and writer. He can be reached at: arakan@emal.com