Date: May 8, 2025
The devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has killed more than 3,700 people and injured over 5,000. But beyond the immediate destruction, the disaster has revealed the near-total collapse of the country’s healthcare system—crippled by years of military rule, targeted attacks on health workers, and aid restrictions.
Healthcare Collapse Amid Disaster
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Myanmar’s medical workforce has been decimated since the military seized power in February 2021. The number of doctors fell from 6 per 10,000 people in 2020 to just 1.01 by 2022. This plunge followed the widespread participation of medical professionals in the Civil Disobedience Movement, who refused to work under the junta’s authority.
Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights have reported critical shortages in medicine and personnel in the aftermath of the earthquake. Many patients went without urgent care, with some dying of treatable injuries due to lack of response. Others suffered untreated wounds that led to infections in the absence of medical support.
Junta’s Reluctance and Restrictions
Despite announcing a ceasefire on April 2, the military junta continued aerial attacks, including in quake-hit areas. Over 170 attacks were recorded since the ceasefire, with 73 in the disaster zone alone. Aid workers and doctors feared traveling due to military checkpoints, harassment, or potential arrest—deepening the crisis.
The junta also required humanitarian organizations to register with them, further restricting relief efforts. Communications bans, limited customs clearance for aid shipments, and shuttered private hospitals have all contributed to the breakdown of disaster response.
Underground Medical Networks and Civilian Efforts
As official support dwindled, underground medical networks led by opposition-aligned healthcare workers stepped in to offer lifesaving care. However, these networks are poorly resourced and operate under constant threat of persecution.
In Mandalay alone, five health facilities were destroyed and 61 others damaged. Junta-controlled media previously reported reallocating natural disaster funds to economic stimulus loans—leaving the country ill-prepared for emergencies.
Monsoon Fears and the Humanitarian Outlook
With the monsoon season fast approaching, the World Health Organization has expressed deep concern over the possible spread of communicable diseases among the tens of thousands of displaced people still living in makeshift shelters.
“That sense of unity is gone,” said quake survivor Nyi Nyi Tin from Sagaing. “I think it’s because people are afraid.” The absence of coordinated community response, so crucial in previous disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic, underscores the new reality of fear and fragmentation under Myanmar’s military regime.
Conclusion
Myanmar’s earthquake has revealed not just a natural disaster, but a man-made humanitarian emergency. As international organizations struggle to reach victims and local medical teams face persecution, the crisis raises urgent questions about global responsibility and the protection of civilians under military regimes.
