1 On 27 November, handover ceremony of the hospital ward constructed under the Project for Improvement of Magway General Hospital, a grant worth 2.281 billion Japanese Yen (22 million USD) was held with the presence of H.E. Dr. Myint Htwe, Union Minister for Health and Sports and H.E. Dr. Aung Moe Nyo, Magway Region Chief Minister, as well as Mr. TAKIMI Kazuyuki, Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan in Myanmar, and Mr. SAKAKURA Noriji, Director of JICA Myanmar Office.

2 In Magway region, the mortality rate for children under-five is higher than the national average. Moreover, there was a pressing challenge to improve the patient care environment, as the Magway General Hospital's facilities and equipment were aging and, due to the lack of beds, the occupancy rate of hospital beds were exceeding 100 percent.

3 The new ward built under this project will improve the lives of local residents by strengthening the function of the obstetrics and gynecology care, neonatal care and emergency care, which will also solve the shortage of beds, and thus, further develop the hospital into the core hospital in Magway region. In addition to the construction of the hospital building, the Government of Japan will continue to provide medical equipment to the hospital.

4 The Government of Japan will continue to work on improving the medical care environment in the country, along with our support for Myanmar’s COVID-19 response, to ensure that each and every citizen in Myanmar can receive higher quality medical and health care services.

New building of Magway General Hospital