Medics in Myanmar on strike against military amid COVID-19 crisis

The Myanmar military’s recent overthrow of the civilian government has come against the backdrop of a COVID-19 outbreak that was just being brought under control.

Front-line healthcare workers from more than 70 medical units and hospitals across the country announced a strike on Wednesday, refusing to work for the military regime. The developments raise fresh concerns about Myanmar’s coronavirus response and vaccination programme, which began on January 27, days before the coup.

“I was so relieved to get the vaccine a few days ago. But our future depends on how the country is run. We don’t want to go back to the dark after staying in the light for some time,” said a 29-year-old doctor in Yangon who joined the strike.

He said healthcare workers “simply do not want to work for the regime that staged the military coup”.

Another doctor – also speaking on condition of anonymity – said the putsch will destroy morale for medical professionals.

“The military coup will surely drag down the motivation of hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers who are at the front line of the war against the COVID-19. Volunteers, inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi, risked their lives to participate in containing COVID-19 … Would a lot of people happily enlist themselves to be volunteers with Min Aung Hlaing in charge? I don’t think so,” he said.

Source: aljazeera.com

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