Yangon - A rise in diarrhea cases has been reported in Latha and Lanmadaw townships, with health authorities saying that medicines and medical supplies have been stockpiled at 18 central-level hospitals in Yangon Region and 65 hospitals under the regional health department.
Meanwhile, reports circulating on social media that Yangon General Hospital has stopped accepting outpatients and inpatients are false, hospital officials said.
Dr. Nanda Win, head of the Yangon Region Public Health and Treatment Department, said training and preparations have been carried out at all 18 central-level hospitals and 65 hospitals under the Yangon Region health system to respond to diarrhea cases.
“Compared with previous days, the number of cases has decreased slightly. If we continue our efforts without interruption, the number of patients should decline within about five days to a week,” Dr. Nanda Win said.
He added that doctors and hospitals under the Treatment Department are working to prevent deaths among patients, with the goal of achieving zero deaths.
“All 18 central-level hospitals in Yangon Region and the 65 hospitals under the region have been provided with training on diarrhea management, and medicines and medical supplies have been stockpiled,” he said.
Diarrhea is a common seasonal illness that tends to occur during the early rainy season every year and remains a health challenge for Yangon Region.
According to health officials, clusters of diarrhea cases were detected between August 8 and 10, including 20 cases in Lanmadaw Township, 20 in Latha Township and 14 in Dagon Seikkan Township.
Health authorities have been monitoring the cases continuously using digital recording and surveillance systems. Dr. Nanda Win said a particularly high concentration of cases had been observed in Latha and Lanmadaw, especially in the area between 1st and 24th streets in Lanmadaw Township, which includes Yangon’s Chinatown area.
“Most of the patients were found to have eaten readily available food purchased from outside,” Dr. Nanda Win said. “We are tracing the water used in food preparation. Some street vendors collect water in small containers from various sources without properly cleaning them. Contaminated water from these containers can cause problems.”
Dr. Min Zaw Oo, Professor and Head of the Clinical Medicine Department at Yangon General Hospital, also dismissed reports that the hospital had stopped accepting patients.
“We are aware that public concern has increased over the recent outbreak of diarrhea,” he said. “It is true that many patients have been coming to the hospital. However, reports circulating on social media that Yangon General Hospital is overcrowded and has stopped seeing outpatients or accepting inpatients are not true.”
He said the hospital’s outpatient department continues to operate as usual and that diarrhea patients are being treated and monitored systematically with the available medical staff and resources.
Yangon General Hospital continues to treat patients suffering from diarrhea as well as those seeking treatment for other illnesses. The hospital currently handles approximately 1,300 to 1,500 inpatients and around 2,500 outpatients each day, according to officials.
