Johanniter in Thailand

Hundreds of thousands of Burmese refugees live along the Thai border with Myanmar, some of whom have been there for 30 years. Since the military coup, more and more people have been fleeing the fighting across the border to Thailand.

On February 1, 2021, the military once again seized power in Myanmar. Since then, there have been militant clashes between the Burmese military and armed groups throughout the country. Particularly in ethnic areas such as Karen and Shan, the military has been carrying out regular airstrikes again since October 2023. As a result, according to UN figures, a further 628,000 people are on the run inside and outside the country.

Financial, legal and language barriers make it difficult for them to access medical examinations and treatment, which can lead to the spread of disease and exacerbate problems relating to maternal and child health.

In the Thai town of Mae Sot, Johanniter, in collaboration with the Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation, are supporting the Mae Tao Clinic to provide Burmese refugees with unconditional and free emergency medical care. To this end, a new, fully equipped 400-square-metre emergency department has been built. At the clinic’s training centre, the medical staff received further training to perform procedures such as caesarean sections, blood transfusions and neonatal resuscitation. In addition, 50 midwives were successfully trained in basic emergency obstetrics and neonatal care.