Air strikes on Hpasawng Town
Recently I (Dr. Hsin) and Coby Hsin had the privilege of joining the Free Burma Rangers (FBR) on a Humanitarian Relief mission in Kayah State, Burma. The country of Burma, also known as Myanmar, has been in turmoil for over 60 years ever since the military regime took control of the country in 1962. Since then, war has raged throughout the region with the Burma army attacking ethnic communities, burning villages and killing its people. Though there was a short period of relative peace when Aung Sun Suu Kyi held the presidency from 2016 to 2021, a coup d’etat ousted the democratically elected government in early 2021. Since then, the military dictatorship, led by Min Aung Hlaing, redoubled its efforts to subjugate and oppress the ethnic minorities.
Dr. Tom treating wounded soldier at casualty collection point
With assistance from Russia and China, the Junta leads a violent genocidal campaign against its own people. Indiscriminately, they bomb churches, schools and hospitals, slaughtering protestors, and displacing over 3 million IDPs (internally displaced peoples).
Today the war rages on, but fort he first time, there is unity among the many different ethnic resistance forces as they battle the atrocities committed by the Burma army.
Two years ago, a small group of doctors and medical students who protested against the oppressive regime joined the growing civil disobedience movement and fled into the countryside where they opened up a clinic to treat the victims of the persecution. Their clinic was promptly destroyed in an airstrike, as were all other medical facilities supporting the resistance. However, this did not deter the small band of doctors from building a secret hospital hidden beneath the canopy of the jungle. For the past two years, this “Last Hospital” in Kayah State has treated countless victims of war-causalities among which are the result of gun shots, mortars, bombs, and artillery fire.
Dr. Sue and Dr. Hsin using household drill to fix arm
With few resources and even less medical equipment, they have remarkably saved many lives and limbs in their small one room operating theater carved into the side of a mountain. They have no address. They have no website. They are an ad hoc hospital hidden deep in the Burma jungle. The Burmese Army reconnaissance planes and drones fly overhead daily, hunting for the “Last Hospital” of the resistance in Kayah State.
This past February, I traveled to Burma, joining Coby and the rest of the FBR team in Kayah State. We spent one week at their hospital working alongside the doctors and students. We were able to bring some orthopedic and medical equipment which they desperately needed, and which were almost completely used up by the end of our time there. We found that the doctors and students were well trained, and had good fundamentals, but lacked proper equipment.
Femur fracture shattered by artillery
For example, for orthopedic surgeries, they used a household drill and wrapped it in a sterile linen. For a saw, they used a household hack saw and sterilized it. We were able to bring them a donated orthopedic drill and an orthopedic saw. They also lacked basic implants such as plates, screws, intramedullary devices and basic bone fixation devices and tools. While there, we treated mostly injuries caused by gunfire, artillery, mortars and landmines. We applied so many external fixators to open fractures, that we ran out of pins and fixators. As the only remaining hospital treating combat injuries, their needs can hardly be overstated. As you can see, the “Last Hospital” is not your typical hospital. They are in desperate need of orthopedic equipment, and they need it yesterday. The war rages on, and the resistance army has no one else to care for their casualties.
The story of these brave and resourceful doctors was featured by Sky News and documented in this short video. Please watch this video and share their story. The world needs to know.
Joining the Free Burma Rangers and Coby for the latter part of their mission, I witnessed hope and healing on the frontlines and to the IDPs in the countryside. As airstrikes and bombings were a daily occurrence, the FBR medics would help IDPs escape the villages and towns where the fighting was fierce, transporting thousands in trucks to nearby safety. The wounded were brought to a casualty collection point (CCP) for medical treatment. We worked alongside another surgeon from Germany as well as the FBR medics to stabilize the wounded at the CCP before being transferred to the hospital for definitive care. However the most encouraging part of the mission is the Good Life Club, a program featuring FBR staff singing and dancing and doing skits for the kids; and providing a message of love and forgiveness. It was joy to see the children dance and laugh amidst the war. For a moment, if only for a short time, they have hope. Hope for a better future and a hope for peace.
To learn more about the ministry of FBR, or to support their cause, please visit their website at Free Burma Rangers.
JoeHsin, MD
