US embassy cable - 04RANGOON1556

UNCLAS RANGOON 001556 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS AID/ANE 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
BANGKOK FOR AID 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, SOCI, ECON, BM, ASSK, NGO 
SUBJECT: BURMA: THE EYES HAVE IT 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: A favorite of ASSK's, U.S.-based NGO ORBIS, 
arrived in Mandalay on December 5th.  The flying eye hospital 
and 11 foreign doctors will spend two weeks providing free 
operations for patients and education and hands-on training 
for nearly 100 Burmese medical staff.  Despite clear benefits 
to the local community from the NGO's humanitarian mission, 
sustainable progress remains difficult while the GOB refuses 
to adequately support healthcare.  End summary. 
 
Mandalay Welcomes Flying Eye Hospital 
 
2. (SBU) On December 5th, the U.S.-based NGO ORBIS flew its 
eye hospital into Mandalay aboard a DC-10.  This flying 
hospital has come to Burma once before, in 2000, and ORBIS 
conducted six other hospital-based ophthalmologic programs in 
Rangoon hospitals prior to that.  The objectives of this 
latest two-week program are to conduct free eye surgeries for 
dozens of patients as well as to provide education and 
hands-on training to Burmese ophthalmologists and surgical 
nurses as well as equipment and training for medical 
technicians at the Mandalay Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat 
Hospital.  Over the two weeks, 11 physicians and nurses from 
the United States, Europe, and Taiwan will participate in the 
program -- sponsored by the Taiwanese national aid agency, 
the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF). 
According to an official from ICDF, this program is a trial 
balloon to assess if further humanitarian aid from Taiwan is 
feasible. 
 
3. (U) We visited ORBIS' operation in Mandalay during its 
weekly screening day as well as one day of onboard surgery. 
During the screening day, about 100 patients, referred as 
untreatable by local eye doctors come to meet the ORBIS 
consultants.  The consultants see all of the patients, confer 
with local physicians, and refer a small percentage for 
surgery.  According to ORBIS, the majority of patients suffer 
from vision loss due to cataracts with a smaller number due 
to glaucoma and posterior segment diseases. 
 
Capacity, Resources a Problem 
 
4. (SBU) ORBIS staff noted that a lack of modern medical 
education, an oppressive hierarchical system in the medical 
profession (wherein only the senior staff get advanced 
training and time on hi-tech equipment), and poor supply and 
maintenance of equipment were the main barriers to adequate 
care in Burma's eye hospitals.  In addition irregular 
electricity make it difficult to operate and maintain 
sophisticated equipment that has become the norm in developed 
country eye clinics. 
 
5. (SBU) Though ORBIS doctors did not make this point, it's 
clear most of these problems boil down to resources.  The GOB 
continues to deny the Ministry of Health (which operates 
public hospitals) an adequate budget.  In the latest budget 
figures, the GOB is allocating only about 0.50 cents per 
capita for healthcare. 
 
Comment: ASSK is an ORBIS Fan 
 
6. (SBU) The ORBIS visit has been a priority for more than 
two years, when NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) asked for 
USG assistance encouraging ORBIS to come back to Burma. 
Though the Ministry of Health never opposed the idea, the 
wheels of bureaucracy turned incredibly slowly in this case. 
ASSK had also asked for our help in contacting Operation 
Smile (which does free palate surgeries) and urging that NGO 
to come to Burma.  While there are short-term benefits to the 
local community from the ORBIS missions, sustainable progress 
remains unlikely so long as there is poor budgetary and 
political support for healthcare.  End comment. 
MARTINEZ