Currently landmine survivors place the heaviest burden on the health system for artificial limbs, comprising atleast 40% of the patients in Myanmar’s prosthetic centers.
Most landmine victims are believed to reside in rural areas, and most prosthetic production facilities remain tied to major towns. The attached map was produced by the International Committee of the Red Cross and is provided here with their permission. It maps current suppliers of prosthetic legs to landmine and other disabled in Myanmar as of February 2014.
The National Rehabilitation Centre in Yangon, run by the Ministry of Health is supported by the Cambodia Trust, an NGO with extensive experience in providing for the needs of the landmine disabled. Atleast 2 non-governmental organizations in Yangon also produce prosthetics: the Myanmar Physically Handicapped Association, Pyae Sone Cooperative Society for Prosthetics, and one private entity, the 777 Hands & Legs Artificial Workshop.
The joint Myanmar Red Cross/International Committee for the Red Cross Hpa-an Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Centre in Hpaan in Kayin State is one of the largest prosthetic centres in the country.
The Ministry of Health also provides prosthetics through the Mandalay General Hospital and the Kyaing Tong General Hospital with the support of the ICRC.
The Leprosy Mission Myanmar provides prosthetics through workshops in Taungoo and Mawlawyine.
One Non-State Armed Group, the Karenni National People’s Liberation Front runs a prosthetic centre in Loikaw, Kayah State.
Cross-border services are available from Thai based organizations, especially through the Prosthetic Department of the Mae Tao Clinic directly across from Myawaddy in Mae Sot, Thailand. The Committee for Internally Displace Karen People has a prosthetic clinic in Hpapun Township, near the border with Thailand. The Shan State Army-South Shan Health Committee runs prosthetic clinics for people from Shan State just across the border with Thailand in Pangmapa and Pieng Luang.
The military medical system also provides prosthetics through its military hospitals at Yangon, Taunggyi and Pyin Oo Lwin, however it is unknown how accessible these centres are for civilians.
There is a severe shortage of trained prosthetic technicians within the country. Even if new workshops are built, the ICRC estimates that Myanmar is currently in need of around 300 prosthetic technicians to meet the needs of the disabled. Currently there are less than 20. The Cambodia Trust is setting up a training program to begin producing prosthetic technicians to meet this need, however it takes up to 3 years to train a technician to professional standards. To help bridge this gap, the Cambodia Trust is bringing in a few prosthetic technicians from other ASEAN countries to increase current prosthetic production.
The map displayed on this page can be downloaded [here].