Myanmar delegation visits Shija Hospitals

IMPHAL, April 2: A 11 member delegation from Myanmar comprising of the Minister of Power Sagaing Region, officials and trade representatives of Myanmar are on a visit to Imphal from April 2 to 6, 2013 in connection with areas related to trade and investment and purchase of power from Manipur. The delegates are also expected to call on the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur.

The goodwill visit of Myanmar delegation visited Shija Hospitals today and has plans to visit RIMS, JNIMS, Babina Diagnostics Centre, and certain other places in the state during their 5 days visit.

A team of 11 Myanmarese delegates led by U KyawWin, Minister, Sagaing Region and 2 MPs of Myanmar accompanied by representatives of Commerce and Industry Department, Govt. of Manipur visited the Shija Hospital at Langol today. The visitors were given a guided tour of the hospital facilities and accorded a warm welcome. A small interactive session was also organized by the management of Shija Hospitals at the Auditorium of the hospital.

During the interaction, the Managing Director of the hospital Dr. Kh Palin said, "We are setting up an oxygen plant in the near future which will supply oxygen to the entire north east and Myanmar, and proposed various actions to the authorities of both India and Myanmar.

The proposals include Free cleft lip and palate surgery under the Smile Train Shija Cleft Project in a suitable hospital in Monywa, the capital of Sagaing Region to be undertaken through regular visits by a team of doctors from Shija Hospitals. Dr Palin added that more than 1, 00,000 population are estimated to be suffering from cleft lip and palate in Myanmar and mentioned further that an application for the same proposal has been submitted to Chief Minister of Sagaing Region on 15th March 2013.

Dedicated accommodation for Myanmar patients and their accompanying party was also mooted in the campus of Shija, besides setting up of a dozen of Shija Information centres in various towns of Myanmar to facilitate transportation and logistic support.

Appreciating the India and Myanmar bilateral initiative of the Mandalay –Imphal bus service and Visa on arrival for Myanmar patients visiting Manipur for healthcare,Dr. Palin appealed to the Commerce and Industry Department, Govt. of Manipur to facilitate in setting up dedicated accommodation facilities for the Myanmar citizens who visits the state for various medical reasons.

O Nabakishore, IAS, Principal Secretary, Govt. of Manipur assured the visiting delegates that Visa on arrival for Myanmar citizens will be operational very soon. He emphasized that Shija Hospitals is today synonymous with quality healthcare and the idea of bringing the visiting delegates to visit the hospitals in the state is to familiarize them with the healthcare services that Manipur state can offer.

U KyawWin, Minister, Sagaining Region, Myanmar dwelt on the long standing friendship Myanmar has with India. He expressed his gratitude to Shija Hospitals for rendering quality healthcare to the people from Myanmar who visits Imphal for medical reasons from time to time. He also assured that he would report back to the concerned Ministry in Myanmar to look into the proposals submitted by Shija Hospitals, Management.

Other delegates in the Myanmar team included U Khin Maung Zaw, TO Tamu; U Myo Nyunt, District MEP Tamu; U Hla Maung, President Union of Myanmar Border Trade Chamber of Commerce; U Tin Shwe, Member; U Kyaw San Win, Member; U Aung Chin, Member; U Aye Ko, Secretary UMBTCC; and U Tin Aye, Member.