An interview with Ma Romali, Spokesperson of the Moebye Rescue Team (MBRT) about the difficulties, challenges and needs it faces in providing aid in the frontline.
The MBRT is an organization that was formed after the military coup to provide health care to revolutionary comrades and humanitarian aid to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs.)
Currently, the MBRT is on the frontline to rescue the comrades wounded in the battles and provide medical care to them.
The Than Lwin Times interviewed Ma Romali, Spokesperson of the MBRT about the difficulties, challenges and needs it faces in providing aid on the frontline.
Q: First of all, what is the MBRT doing? Tell us about the rescue operation in Operation 11.11.
A: What our MBRT does in Operation 11.11 is rescue. The second is treatment. The third is transportation. There are the rescue teams which have been deployed on the frontline for the wounded comrades. Our team is stationed in a safe place and treats the wounded sent by the frontline organizations. We can handle minor cases. Major cases are transferred to the hospital by ambulance. We are working on these three points.
Q: What kind of experiences do you have when providing medical services in the frontline and backline? If you have any memorable events, please share them.
A: We have a lot of experience in providing frontline and backline medical services. We mistakenly led to the military council’s positions when we went to the frontline for rescue mission. We were luckily able to turn back in time. We are always providing medical services and health care to guard soldiers in the backline.
Q: What are the most common challenges you faced when providing medical services? How do you overcome these challenges?
A: One of the biggest challenges we faced when providing medical services is safety. The main point is security is challenged by indiscriminate shelling, constant movements of scouts and drones as the place where we go to is very close to the military council’s position and the houses. The second point is that we have no sufficient medicine. Comrades should not have lost their lives during the military operation and on the way to the hospital. How to treat blood clots on the way is the first difficulty. Lack of easy access to the hospital is the second difficulty.
Q: How does the military council block the transport of medicines?
A: The military council seizes medicines on the way. Only licensed clinics are allowed to carry a small number of medicines. We have heard about what kinds of medicine are allowed to be carried. In many places, it is difficult to carry medicines. We cannot talk about some cases for security reasons. We have to carry medicines in a very difficult situation.
Q: As a last question, which message do you want to convey to donors and the public about the current medical needs?
A: We would also like to thank each and every member of the public who has supported us since the beginning. We would like to urge the public to be with us until additional medical needs are fulfilled. We continue to be with our wounded comrades and are doing our best to provide health care. Thank you very much to all the people for standing together with us.
Sent by Than Lwin Times