معاناة ميانمار: مطاردة نظام ميليتر، كمين نصبه كوفيد-19

JAKARTA - The issue of the February 1 military coup has not yet been resolved, the people of Myanmar must accept the fact that this year's COVID-19 wave is more severe and deadly than last year, making the people face two crushes at once.

Not only queues to get oxygen, the health care system has collapsed since the military coup, making it difficult for people to get treatment queues, especially hospitalization.

It doesn't stop there, the funeral queues for those who died due to COVID-19 are no less long. Not infrequently the bodies of COVID-19 patients have to be next to patients who are still undergoing treatment.

Likewise, cremation facilities are experiencing a surge in demand, making bodies also have to queue long to be cremated. This completes the fatigue of ambulance drivers and COVID-19 funeral workers.

In months of bloody political turmoil, Myanmar's security forces have killed more than 900 people, including shooting dead protesters in the streets, and besieging entire villages. Thousands of people have been detained in the ongoing crackdown, with reports of widespread torture.

Civil society has eroded and an already vulnerable health care system has collapsed. Doctors and other health workers, many of whom had gone on strike to protest the coup, were forced into hiding to avoid attacks and arrests from junta forces.

As Myanmar is now facing its worst COVID-19 outbreak, doctors and volunteers who spoke to CNN have accused the military of using the pandemic as a weapon against the people.

They said the military had restricted the sale of critical oxygen to the public and denied sick patients to military-run hospitals. The COVID-19 outbreak has also reached prisons, including the main prison, Insein, which houses anti-coup protesters.

Terrified residents are choosing to self-medicate at home, doctors say. When they go to hospitals, they are often turned away because the facilities are running out of oxygen, care and beds, and there aren't enough staff to care for patients, they said.

On Wednesday, the military-controlled Ministry of Health reported 6,093 coronavirus cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the Land of a Thousand Pagodas to 246,663. There have also been 247 deaths reported, with the number of confirmed deaths from COVID-19 5,814.

But doctors and volunteer groups say the figures are smaller than the unreported number. A once promising COVID-19 vaccination program has collapsed under the junta. Minimal testing, a lack of official data, and widespread public distrust of the military mean no one has a clear idea of the extent of the crisis.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg. We see patients deteriorating and people dying every day," said a doctor who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals.

Joy Singhal, head of the Myanmar delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the rapid increase in COVID-19 in Myanmar was very concerning. In recent days about a third of the people tested have tested positive for the infection.

"This increase in cases has put the entire health system under great pressure. We urgently need greater levels of testing, contact tracing and vaccination in all regions of the country," he said.

In the absence of a functioning medical system or official national COVID-19 plan, and with public distrust of anything related to the military junta. Underground networks of doctors and volunteer groups are trying to close the gap.

Every day, desperate family members scour Facebook groups and encrypted apps, searching for oxygen supplies for their loved ones. The words 'urgent', 'emergency' and 'please help me' were repeated in a constant stream of desperate messages.

"My grandfather is deprived of oxygen. Please help him. Is there a place where he can get oxygen?" asked a concerned user in a Facebook group helping those in need of oxygen. Others offer oxygen tanks after their loved ones die.

As is the case in a number of countries, the fulfillment of oxygen needs for COVID-19 patients is also experienced by the people of Myanmar. This includes the dearth of oximeters, devices used to test oxygen levels, oxygen concentrators, flow meters, ventilators and other equipment that are expensive and scarce.

"They said, 'save us, save us.' But how can I save them? I'm not a doctor. I can only give them access to oxygen when I can get it. There are several people who died because we couldn't get oxygen on time," said one of the volunteers who helped provide oxygen supply under the pseudonym Snowy. .

The military junta said it was banning some private oxygen factories from selling to the general public to stop residents from stockpiling, according to Reuters. Charities have also been prevented from getting oxygen by the military, according to some doctors and volunteers.

"My friend, whose mother was deprived of oxygen, she was queuing and the Myanmar military regime soldiers arrived with more than 50 tanks in a truck. They sent everyone back and filled their tanks first," said Snowy.

CNN was unable to independently verify account details. While in state media, the military initially denied there was a shortage of oxygen, blaming the shortage on 'immoral people' who spread rumours.

"We have enough oxygen. Some are trying to do negative activities while gaining political gain. They are buying oxygen cylinders and spreading rumors that the country has no more oxygen," said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, coup leader, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar.

However, in recent days, the military-controlled health ministry said it was stepping up its coronavirus response. State media claims oxygen delivery to hospitals across the country, construction of COVID-19 centers and oxygen plants and more treatments available for coronavirus patients.

But residents say the situation on the ground is different. Kyaw Naing, not his real name, said nine members of his family in Yangon had contracted COVID-19. He said it was almost impossible to get oxygen or be hospitalized.

"We saw a notice saying now they (military) will stop providing oxygen supplies to members of the public, because the notice says they are not providing supplies for use in private hospitals," Kyaw Naing said.

"On the one hand, they say they use this oxygen for private, public hospitals. At the same time, this public hospital does not accept or does not accept COVID-19 patients," he continued quietly.

CNN was unable to reach the military and the military-run ministry of health for comment on the outbreak and the state of oxygen supply.

Not only that, Myanmar's health burden is getting heavier, along with attacks on health facilities, arrests of medical personnel and doctors, making them open 'underground' practices to continue to serve residents.

This was done, considering that doctors and medical personnel were the initial impetus for demonstrations against the military coup. Many have been arrested by the junta for their involvement in the Civil Disobedience Action (CDM).

"There are 240 documented cases of attacks on healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals. As of last week, there were more than 500 arrest warrants in circulation for doctors and nurses," said Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar.

"You can't attack COVID-19 and attack doctors, nurses and clinics at the same time. That's what makes the situation exponentially worse in Myanmar," he growled.

Doctors forced into hiding to avoid arrest have set up a network of underground clinics and tele-consultation services. Every day they answer hundreds of requests from sick patients, on apps, social media and video platforms.

"We treat at least 150 people per day. More than half of the patients complain of fever, anosmia (lack of smell) and COVID-like symptoms. Half of the patients are severe cases," said the doctor, who asked not to be named. "Half of the patients are severe cases."

The doctor, who was an orthopedic surgeon before the coup, said his tele-consultation group EZ Care treated more than 1,000 patients in the past month.

"Yesterday two patients died during our consultation due to lack of oxygen. Without oxygen we can't do anything," he concluded.

UN special rapporteur Andrews said the situation boggles the imagination about what will actually happen over the next few days, it is beyond control.

"This is a complete disaster. The entire health care system is falling apart. The number of infected people is just going through the roof, and no one trusts this military regime to give them the information or health care or vaccines they need to deal with a pandemic."

The Myanmar Coup. VOI editors continue to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continued to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.