13 July
AN opening ceremony of Coordination Meeting for Improving Prison Health Care in Myanmar was held at M Gallery Nay Pyi Taw by Sofitel hotel, Nay Pyi Taw on 11 July 2019.
In his address to the ceremony, Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe said that according to medical ethics it is important for prison health care to be at the same level as provided to the people. Despite differences in where they had lived, education level, health knowledge, living habit, belief and outlook, race, socio-economic and health background, health care of prisoners must be considered from all angles according to their rights for health care, medical ethics and public health ethics.
Basic factors such as health problems usually faced by prisoners, cleanliness of prison and its vicinity, personal hygiene of prisoners, general health condition and health care condition in prisons all over the country were to be assessed and evaluated through coordination between state/region level health department officials and medical superintendents. According to the findings of the assessment and evaluation prison health care guidelines will be modified.
Current status of prisoner patients undergoing treatment in hospitals were to be assessed, evaluated and modified. Arrangements must be made for participation of health care personnel assigned in prisons to capacity building courses conducted by state/region level health departments.
Works must be conducted according to human rights and medical ethics for establishing prisons with a high level of health care and to smoothly release healthy prisoners after serving their times in prison. The ministry will support as much as possible to raise the level of health care in prisons, said the Union Minister.
Next, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Aung Thu said the Ministry of Home Affairs is cooperating with Ministry of Health and Sports, related departments and organizations to provide health care services in prisons. It will continue this cooperation toward improving the health care services said the Deputy Minister.
Afterwards, morning session discussions were conducted and Union Minister discussed and commented on the discussions.
The coordination meeting concluded yesterday. The meeting was attended by professors, specialists, public health experts, township doctors and officials from Ministry of Health and Sports Department of Public Health and Medical Services, chief medical officers and officials from Ministry of Home Affairs Correctional Department, experts and officials from World Health Organization, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN), Myanmar Anti-Narcotics Association (MANA) and International Committee of Red Cross. —MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)
