Myanmar has a system of combined private and government-run health care. The country’s total population is 60 million, with about two-thirds living in rural areas. Yangon is the capital city, with a population of just over 5 million.
The YangonEyeHospital is 1 of only 4 teaching hospitals for ophthalmology in the country of #Myanmar. This is the second year for the MyanmarEyeMeeting, and the excitement for these volunteer doctors comes from knowing they are part of a team creating and shaping the future of health care for an entire nation.
When we first approached the Yangon Eye Hospital on Monday morning, a steady stream of people were walking up the slightly uphill driveway to the hospital entrance. The activity resembled a busy marketplace or a school at morning drop-off time. When we entered the facility, a large foyer, with rows of benches and plastic chairs reminiscent of a DMV waiting area, was bustling with families already seated and filling most of the available spots. To our left was the Emergency Services check-in area. To our right, a long hallway lined with more wooden benches also filled to capacity with families waiting to be seen. We peek inside a room off this corridor, which is the size of a small classroom. Three slit-lamps are set up there and there are about a dozen patients standing in line while three sets of patients are seen simultaneously.