U Aung Myat Kyaw displays a plastic box filled with traditional medicines to be distributed for free throughout Myanmar. Pic: Ye Kaung Myint Maung

THE Department of Traditional Medicine under the Ministry of Health has distributed plastic boxes filled with traditional medicines to villages near Nay Pyi Taw, with plans to expand the effort into a nationwide program.

U Aung Myat Kyaw, the deputy director general of the department, said 150 boxes were distributed free of charge to villages in Pyinmana, Lewe and Tatkon townships in August as a pilot project to evaluate the feasibility of the program.

Each box contained seven traditional medicines manufactured by factories under the Ministry of Health to treat ailments related to digestion, heart, eyes, fever, fever with attendant delirium, malaria and nerves.

Each box also contained a thermometer, bandages, cotton wool, a bottle of spirits, liquid iodine for dressing wounds and booklet titled Handbook for Myanmar Traditional Medicine and Herbal Plants.

U Aung Myat Kyaw said the aim of the project is to promote the use of traditional medicine in small communities and assist those who lack access to modern healthcare facilities.

“The vast majority of Myanmar people live in remote rural areas far from modern healthcare services. Traditional medicines are suitable for these people because they are cheap, effective and have few side-effects,” he said.

“According to our evaluation of recent distributions, the boxes are very useful for country folks in curing or lessening illnesses without the need to travel a long way for treatment,” U Aung Myat Kyaw said.

However, he said the medicines were only intended to treat minor ailments.
“People suffering from serious illnesses should go to a clinic or healthcare centre for treatment,” he said.

During the pilot phase in August the boxes were distributed to village heads, health officials or traditional physicians who could best hand out the medicines to people in need of treatment.

“Once the boxes are given out, people who receive treatment should contribute some funds to the authorised person who maintains the box so it can be restocked with medicine for future patients,” said U Aung Myat Kyaw.

He said the department has informed the World Health Organisation about the project and hopes to get support from local and international non-government organisations.

“There are more than 60,000 villages in Myanmar. We warmly welcome donors from home and abroad,” he said.