Nearly 2,000 locals including the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) get diarrhea due to unsafe water along the Shan-Karenni border.
They are the IDPs who are hiding in the forest in Pekon Township on the Shan-Karenni border and locals from 15 villages, a female health staff member from Mobye Rescue Team told the Shan News.
“The reason why they get diarrhea is they have to drink water from streams. They face a shortage of water. They cannot boil water. Both locals and the IDPs get diarrhea” she added.
The heath workers could provide medical care to the patients for just five days.
Children who have no access to health care due to a shortage of medicine and the persons living with hypertension have a higher chance of dying.
“The babies aged below two are at high risk when they get diarrhea. They have a higher chance of dying in the next morning when they get diarrhea at night. We can save the patients who get diarrhea. The people living with hypertension may die when they don’t get medicine. There are a lot of people living with hypertension, who don’t get medicine,”
Since last week of February, around 5,000 locals have fled for safety due to the ongoing battles between a combined force of the military council and the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) and the PDF in Pinlaung Township. There are more than 100,000 IDPs along the Shan-Karenni border.
Sent by Shan News