Once well respected physician Minister Kyaw Myint
Good Example is the Ministry of Health of Myanmar. The Blogger tried to find the once, SLORC Health and Education Minister Colonel Pe Thein’s photo in ths web.It was just a decade ago that he was a Minister. Now no more and nowhere to find his name. Burmese called “Thinkhaya.”
He was a Director General of Health before the SLORC’s coup in 1988. Ne Win formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council. To give the good impression to the International Community after the violently killing thousands of innocent lives, he placed few civilians in the newly formed SLORC.
Pe Thein became a dual Minister for the Health and Education. By profession Pe Thein was a Physiologist. Pe Thein ‘s wife Professor Kyu Kyu Swe was very close to Dr Sandar Win, Ne Win’s daughter, who had failed to pass UK’s MRCOG examination.
Most of the medical professionals were highly respected in then, Burma, and Pe Thein was initially seen as a hope of the civilians to regain the power.
However, Pe Thein allegedly requested to give him a Military Title as he felt that he should be the similar colour with the SLORC Generals. His request was granted. Dr Pe Thein became Colonel Pe Thien .
Burmese people ridiculed Pe Thein in so many ways. All of-us remember his bald head. When the famous actor Pye Nyein died of accident in Burma, people said Pe Thein should go not.. Pye Nyein ( These two names are perfect rhymes in Burmese language). Eventually respect to him from the Generals as well as from the people dropped and finally retired.( Now even very hard to get his photo in Internet, Than Wai Ga!)
The current Health Minister Kyaw Myint was a famous physician and a Proffessor of Medicine in Burma. He was a handsome and friendly physician to his friends.
Now, he is famous among his friends for his rudeness, ruthless nature and neglecting his profession as a physician to the Burmese Health care System which is in chaotic state. Anybody with the right mind frame will denounce the Junta Government and resign from his job, for what Junta has done to its people recently.
How could he continue as Health Minister while the rate of infant mortality, and maternal mortality and HIV/ AIDS cases which are the bench mark indicators for the well-being of Burmese are unbelievably high.
Where is his Hippocrates’s Oath as a medical professional he has sworn for the rest of his life. He declared proudly to the fellow Burmese Doctors as”I am no more a physician, I am a politician” . What kind of politics he is is doing under the Military Junta. Just read the speech written by the Junta and go around the Burmese hospitals which are merely the hollow buildings with the overcrowded patients, and without medicines and instruments.
How about the decline in the quality of the new generation, Burmese medical professionals?
Su Su Nwe an activist under arrest, who is not well educated, however she was well aware of HIV problem in Burma. But our professional Health Minister ignore the cries of sick Burmese people in the world’s Biggest Jail, Burma! Then, I remember the famous Russian writer Franz Kafka’s metamorphosis novel.
Instead of becoming a Caterpillar, these intelligent people turned into robots. This is the true story of modern day Burma , Metamorphosis in Junta Style, Human transformed to Robot.
Sit Mone
Sit Mone's Mosaic Thoughts 