Among the renovation works being carried out at the Sittwe General Hospital, eight steps have been nearly completed and three wing-extension works are now about 60 percent complete.
A master plan was drawn for upgrading Sittwe General Hospital by experts from Norway, the European Union and 3 Millennium Development Goals Fund (3 MDG) by meeting five times and forming a working group committee for upgrading and renovation of the hospital.
Ministry of Health and Sports is currently implementing upgrades to hospitals and village health care departments in Rakhine State depending on the annual budget allotment. At the Sittwe General Hospital, there is a blood bank but it is currently not possible to build blood bank at every hospital across the entire nation as the construction of a blood bank cost a huge sum of money. However, a small blood bank will soon be built in Buthidaung in Rakhine State for treating emergency patients.
Upgrades are being carried out with assistance from Norwegian experts. In November 8, 2017, Norway ambassador Ms.Tone Tinnes and party met Union Minister for Health and Sports and discussed matters on providing healthcare to all people residing in Rakhine State, and upgrading and renovating of Sittwe General Hospital. In upgrading Sittwe Hospital, Ministry of Health and Sports has formed a group comprising of Rakhine State Government members and donors.
According to report of the Implementation Committee on recommendations of Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, 197 total medicine and medical equipment has been provided to 24 hospitals in Rakhine State while larger amounts of medicine, medical equipment and X-ray, laboratory equipment were also provided to hospitals in Maungdaw,and Taungpyo Letwei.
Moreover, ambulances will be kept at the Sittwe Hospital and treatment will be given to emergency patients after establishing an emergency patients transferring system. For effective operation of the emergency patients transferring system, arrangement will be made with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other non-governmental organizations. If people from Bengali refugee camps and Bengali patients from villages need emergency treatment, ambulances from Sittwe General Hospital will be fetched the patients and treatment will be given at the hospital.
