Yangon, 11 Feb — A commencement ceremony of improving Loikaw General Hospital took place on Monday, with officials driving stakes to start the project at the hospital in Loikaw, Kayah State.
Kayah State Chief Minister U Khin Maung Oo, Dr Akihiko Tanaka, President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Deputy Minister for Health Dr Daw Thein Thein Htay were among the participants at the stake-driving ceremony.
The project for improving the more than 50-year-old core medical facility of the state includes construction of two two-storey buildings funded by the JICA with about 1.945 billion yen. The project is scheduled to be completed in April 2016.
Having a high ratio of patients to available places in the existing buildings of the hospital built in 1964, there has been an increase in the number of in-patients with 194 in 2014, up from 155 in the previous year. In addition, the medical equipment is also inadequate in terms of quality and quantity.
According to the Ministry of Health, the 200-bed hospital is handling
more than 1,600 operations annually and treating more than 20,000 out-patients.
Upon completion of the project, there will be full health care coverage to locals in the state and health care services extended to those in the southern part of neighbouring Shan State as well.— GNLM
