Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, the Health Minister of the National Unity Government (NUG), has issued an urgent appeal to the public and international community for assistance in constructing bomb-proof underground hospitals and clinics to replace those destroyed by the military council’s deliberate airstrikes. In a video message, the minister revealed that the military council is systematically targeting doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, deliberately attacking medical facilities with increasing intensity in recent months.
According to Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, while they previously managed to provide medical care safely in forest areas, the escalation of airstrikes during April and May has necessitated the construction of underground medical facilities capable of withstanding bombs weighing between 500 to 1,000 pounds. He emphasized that these fortified underground hospitals have become essential for protecting healthcare workers and ensuring continuous medical services for civilians. The minister explained that the current situation has made it impossible to operate conventional medical facilities safely, as they have become primary targets for military attacks.
The minister stressed that civilian healthcare workers in Myanmar are operating under some of the most dangerous conditions in the world, making it crucial to establish secure facilities where they can both provide medical care and rest safely. Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, who returned from abroad to Myanmar to directly oversee revolutionary activities and the NUG’s education and healthcare initiatives on the ground, made a formal appeal for both domestic and international support in this urgent infrastructure project. He emphasized that these underground medical facilities are not just buildings, but essential infrastructure for saving lives and protecting healthcare workers who continue to serve the public despite facing deliberate targeting by the military council.
