Over 2,500 medical posts are vacant in Rakhine State and only about 1,740 medical staffs are appointed, according to the state government.

Ministry of Health and Sports has assigned an additional of over 400 medical staffs including 21 specialists to provide suitable healthcare services in the state.

The state government had assigned 21 specialists, 22 physical assistants, one dentist, three gazetted officers, five senior nurses, ten junior nurses, 130 midwives, 12 laboratory technicians and 200 healthcare supervisors (2).

The ministry is arranging plans to promote doctors, nurses and medical staffs and it has plans to fill vacancies systematically. The state government will give priority to assign doctors graduated from Universities of Medicine.

The ministry will give trainings to locals as first priority for healthcare supervisor (2) and midwife trainings as it is more convenience to assign them in their native areas. It is planning to open a new nursing and midwifery school in southern Rakhine State in addition to Sittwe nursing and midwifery school.

The healthcare services index in Rakhine State is low in recent years and World Health Organization (WHO) advised to assign at least 22 medical staffs to provide effective healthcare services to 10,000 people. Although Myanmar has about 16 medical staffs to provide healthcare services to 10,000 people averagely, Rakhine State has only five medical staffs to provide healthcare services to 10,000 people. The infant mortality rate in the state is higher than the average of entire infant mortality rate in the country. About 19 per cent of pregnant women are attended hospitals and clinics where skillful medical staffs are assigned.