A child under five died as he did not receive medical treatment in time in Bawlakhe, which is controlled by the military council in Karenni (Kayah) state, according to residents.
There is only one military hospital, Bawlakhe. That hospital receives the patients for a limited time only.
A resident said that the sick child died because the hospital received patients with the recommendation of relevant ward administrators.
“I knew the child was sick. The child had to receive medical treatment at home. There is no medicine. Due to the limited time in the hospital, the sick child was unable to meet doctors and died. If there were clinics, that child would not have died. The child could not be sent to the clinic in time. Recommendation from ward administrator is required to send the child to the military hospital. We cannot go outside at night and early in the morning. The child died because he was not admitted to the hospital,” a local resident said.
The resident said that he could get recommendations to send the sick child to the military hospital. However, due to the limited time in the hospital, the sick child was unable to meet doctors and died.
At present, the military council force has taken control over the town of Bawlakhe. Residents said that they are only allowed to enter or leave the city after obtaining the permission of the military council.
Farmers are allowed to do their upland farming in the designated areas only when they get the military council’s permission. All locals are not in a position to do their farming freely, locals said.
“Locals have to ask for permission to go outside the city. Most of the residents want to do farming. However, it is not convenient to do. The people are not allowed to go too far. Locals also have to ask for permission to enter the city.”
Currently, there is no fighting in Bawlakhe, but the military council troops are firing heavy weapons every night, local residents said.
According to residents, 50 percent of the residents of Bawlakhe are fleeing the war, while the remaining 50 percent are still in the city.
As of March 2018, the population of Bawlakhe Township is around 8,000—over 2,000 in urban areas, over 4,000 in rural areas and over 2,000 in new Bawlakhe village, according to the list published by the Township Administration Office.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.
