[Donation of medicines to Burma] On Thursday 5 May, 3 tonnes of medicines and health products left for Burma. They were donated to a long-standing partner of the Tulipe association: the Association Médicale Franco-Asiatique (AMFA France).
The shipment should arrive in 5 to 6 weeks in Burma, which has been in the throes of civil war since February 2021. Tulipe has therefore donated canteens filled with disinfectants, antibiotics and compresses. These products will help to treat the many displaced people.
In addition to the donation of medicines from Tulipe in Burma, this shipment of medical supplies includes equipment and instruments for basic surgery, war surgery, respirators , etc. “It’sthe doctors on the ground who are going to do the work.It is the doctors on the ground who will receive this essential aid. It will be transported through a secure channel. It will then be distributed by the Minister of Health and teams from the Burmese legally elected government. This health equipment will enable many civilians to be treated”, explains Professor Alain Patel, President of AMFA. He is head of the orthopaedic surgery department at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garches. The association, of which he is a founding member, has been working in Burma for 42 years. “Tulipe has been helping us for 20 years. With its help, 23 Burmese dispensaries have been modernised. The canteens provided each year by the association, for example, enable these structures to function,” adds Alain Patel.
Professor Alain Patel in Burma in front of a Tulipe emergency medicine canteen (AMFA archives)
“The junta is bombing and killing civilians indiscriminately, including women and children”.
The current humanitarian situation in Burma remains dramatic. On 11 April 2022, according to data from UNOCHA (the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), 912,700 people were still displaced.
This figure includes 566,100 people displaced by the civil war and insecurity since the military seized power in February 2021. “50% of the population (56 million inhabitants) is said to be undernourished. The junta continues today to bomb and kill civilians indiscriminately, including women and children. We continue to support the democratically elected government that is fighting against this regime. It also seems that there are more and more desertions in the ranks of their army, 60 of whom are killed every day by insurgent attacks”, explains Alain Patel. “There is a constant and very great need for medicines, because international aid cannot reach the area because the junta is blocking convoys. Our association has solid contacts and relays on the ground, as well as excellent knowledge of the area”, explains the President of AMFA.
Tulipe has supported AMFA with donations of medicines and health equipment in Burma for 20 years (AMFA archives)
The missions of the Franco-Asian Medical Association
AMFA’s role is not limited to sending doctors, anaesthetists, nurses and technicians where they are needed. The association, which is present in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, seeks to train local health workers to a high level of medical competence. AMFA has also participated in and supported the creation of medical and hospital structures in the country. The association provides follow-up by sending volunteer biomedical technicians, ensuring their training and the sustainability of their expertise. Finally, it monitors medical equipment and the maintenance and upkeep of paramedical equipment.
To find out more and supportAMFA’s humanitarian action in Burma
