Health

Health problems are widespread – often brought on by prison life and exacerbated by the authorities’ indifference and inadequate facilities and healthcare. Another form of torture, harsh prison conditions and failure to provide necessary assistance to ailing prisoners, also function as weapons to break political prisoners mentally and physically.

Political prisoners in Burma under British colonial rule received suitable accommodation, such as a bed, pillow and mosquito net. In the prisons under current regime, the accommodation for a political prisoner is a raw mat.

Dr. Khin Mar Kyi explains how prison conditions affect the prisoners’ health condition and life.

“- There was no bed in the cell. I had to sleep on a worn bamboo mat on the concrete floor. The room faced north and in the cold season it was very cold. My bones were aching and I could not sleep. As I couldn't sleep, I just did light physical exercises. I couldn't sleep during the whole cold season of 1996. I tried my best to keep my spirits high. If and when released, I have many things to do, so I did my best to maintain my health. - “
(See appendix-7)

Myat Mo Mo Tun also explains:

“- The poet, Daw Sein Pin, who lived with me in prison, was paralyzed. As usual, she did not get any proper treatment. When she was released, I saw Aunt Sein walking with her head lowered to the outside world through the main gate of the prison. Soon after, I heard her health worsened, so that she did not even remember certain things about herself. -“
(See appendix-10)

Prison doctors and health assistants show little regard for political prisoners. They prescribe only a few outdated medicines for a wide variety of conditions.

Dr. Khin Mar Kyi recalls how treatment is administered to unhealthy political prisoners.

“- if something happened to us, the doctors rarely came. They tended to give us medicines through nurses or other women prisoners. - - - As they didn't treat us like human beings, but instead with the attitude that they could give us any kind of medicine, later on I didn't inform them of my condition. I did exercise on my own. I meditated to ward off my sufferings and miseries.

I don't understand whether the government authorities have any policies or actions. I often wondered whether the people who were in charge of prisoners' health saw us prisoners as human beings or not. I often thought how hard their hearts must be. I often thought about it. -“
(See appendix-7)

Dr. Khin Mar Kyi herself is a physician. She describes the medicine the prisoners received.

“- They gave us medicines such as Oxy-tetra, Paracetamol and Bamiton, which are no longer in use these days. Whatever happened, they gave us these medicines. We had to look after our health and survive on these medicines. -“
(See appendix-7)

Receiving this substandard inhumane medical treatment poses risks, as Kaithy Aye relates:

“-Prison medical officers were not doctors. They finished medical training only. The MO used only a hypodermic needle and a syringe full of penicillin for injecting many prisoners. They did not use disposable syringes or needles. Prisoners unable to keep their own disposable needles could not avoid that.-”
(See appendix-6)

Yee Yee Htun, sentenced to fourteen years in prison for her participation in the 1996 December Student Demonstration, describes being given an injection with the wrong medication.

“- One day, during my six-month solitary confinement, I suffered from a severe stomachache and I had to shout for help. The prison doctor came to me, examined me and ordered a female medic to give me an injection. During the injection, a female warden rushed in and shouted, “Stop the injection, the doctor said the medication he ordered was wrong.” …I was injected with the wrong medication, but fortunately I did not suffer anything except that I could not sleep the whole night. I was worried at this time because I thought nobody would be informed if I died.-”
(See appendix-17)

Improvements would come following the ICRC’s visit to prison, according to Dr. Khin Mar Kyi.

“- When medication time came, they would give us medicine that the ICRC had donated and left behind. When they ran out of medicine, they would give us oxy-tetra again like before. -“
(See appendix-7)

San San Nweh had to rely on her family for the food and medicine she needed in Insein prison.

“- All the medicine and food {that we received} was from our home supply. We had a difficult time when we lacked this. The prison health care system only gives Paracetamol and Dygine* tablets. – “
*Paracetemol is a general painkiller, and Dygine is a medicine for stomachaches
(See appendix-13)

These debilitating conditions often leave prisoners with permanent health problems, as Hla Hla Htwe relates.

“-After my release, I suffered from damage to my nerves. I had to take medicine, and also had to do exercises with the help of crutches. Many suffered nerve and muscle diseases in prison. Many also suffered lung diseases because when bathing in prison it had been very windy and the bathing place was coverless-”
(See appendix-5)

Thi Thi Aung also continues to experience health problems arising from prison conditions.

“-Because of the bad conditions I now suffer from kidney ailments.-”
(See appendix-15)