Global Health Access Project and the Mae Tao Clinic in Burma - Essay Example

Number] Mae Tao Clinic – Healthcare Facility of Burmese Refugees in Thailand The Mae Tao clinic (MTC) is a communityhospital located at the border town of Mae Sot, Thailand. The hospital is also called as Dr. Cynthia’s clinic after the name of its founder Dr. Cynthia Maung. The hospital was established in 1988 with the intention of providing healthcare services to the Burmese refugees and migrant workers who had to leave Burma during the violent suppression of pro democracy movement to curb the uprising of the rebellions by the ruling military Junta of Burma in 1988 (Sullivan et al, p255).Dr.Maung was among those Burmese who crossed the border and entered the neighbor country Thailand.

She realized the healthcare requirements of the refugees and established makeshift healthcare facility in Mae Sot so that the injuries and other healthcare problems of the Burmese refugees could be adequately cured (Clarke, p4). The clinic is equipped with adequate medical instruments and machinery and provides wide range of services to the patients. Along with the healthcare services, the clinic also offered social services, training programs, outreach programs, child protection awareness program and health education.

(Sullivan et al, p255). Burma – Background, Refugees and GHAPBurma is the largest country of mainland South Asia by its geographical area. The official name of Burma is Union of Myanmar. The country is bordered with China, Thailand, India, Bangladesh and Bay of Bengal. The government has been dominantly controlled by the military after the General Ne Win’s coup in 1962. Since then the Burma is under the strict control of the State Peace and Development Council that is led by the military Junta.

The country is blessed by the nature with rich and fertile land and resources. Under the military rule, the country has experienced economic downfall and also became the source of refugee crisis that is among the most extended refugee catastrophe of the world (Fink, p87). The cubing policies of the military Junta compelled thousands of inhabitants to cross the border of Burma. These people found rescue in the neighboring countries like Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Thailand and the number of the Burmese refugees has exceeded the limit of half million.

It is also found that almost 150,000 Burmese migrated to Thailand that are living in the designated camps. Global Health Access Program (GHAP) is a nonprofit organization that works for the improvement of the communities facing certain crisis either locally or internationally. GHAP uses to support the healthcare initiatives taken by the Mae Tao clinic for the Burmese refugees in Thailand. Since the establishment of the clinic in 1988 GHAP has been providing healthcare training, technical support and information system support to facilitate the operations and services of Mae Tao clinic in Thailand.

GHAP has also worked for the local capacity building and enhancement of local resources to improve the provision of healthcare services to the refugees in the Thailand camps (Sullivan et al, p255).Work CitedFink, Christina (2001). Living Silence:Burma under Military Rule. Bankok: White LotusSullivan, Tara, Maung, Cynthia,Sophia, Naw (2004), Using Evidence to Improve Reproductive Health Quality along the Thailand-Burma Border. Disasters; Sep2004, Vol. 28 Issue 3, p255-268Clarke, Kevin (2005).

Finding a refuge at Dr. Cynthias. U.S. Catholic; Mar2005, Vol. 70 Issue 3, p4