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Showing posts from October 19, 2013

Local Rakhine state hospitals refusing to treat Muslims, say MSF

By Radio Australia October 18, 2013 In Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state, minority Muslims live under apartheid-like conditions, housed in temporary camps and segregated from the majority Buddhist population. This has led to a health care crisis as Muslims are subject to strict movement restrictions and local hospitals are known to refuse to treat them. Presenter: Jared Ferrie Speaker:  Vickie Hawkins, the deputy head of mission, Medecines Sans Frontiers; Myint Aung, villager FERRIE: In townships around the Rakhine capital of Sittwe, Muslims who need serious medical attention must wait hours and even days before being able to visit the one hospital that will treat them. They are not allowed to visit local hospitals. Instead they must travel to Sittwe General Hospital, which has a special ward for Muslims. But Muslims are not allowed to travel freely, so aid agencies like Medecines Sans Frontiers must negotiate with local authorities to transport each individua