Since the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, different times have also dawned for the Irrawaddy River Doctors different times have dawned. In February, the hospital ship was still on its normal route in the villages. In March, treatment was increasingly provided at the jetty in Bogale. This is because there is no longer any medical care in the entire township of Bogale, all clinics are closed and the doctors have fled or been arrested. We are doing our best to either treat the emergencies ourselves or find a private clinic that is still open.

During the current Water Festival (Buddhist New Year) until April 17, the ship is moored in Bogale and our team is off. Most of the staff have not been with their families for months and are using the holidays to visit their relatives. From April 18, the hospital ship will resume its usual route and will provide medical treatment to patients in the villages who have been cut off from care. We are also working on setting up an acute emergency care facility in Bogale to provide people with a medical point of contact during this difficult time.