Arakanese call for relaxation of medical certificate requirements

By Admin 29 May 2026

DMG Newsroom

29 May 2026, Kyauktaw

People in Arakan State are calling on the United League of Arakan (ULA) to relax medical travel certificate requirements, as patients face significant difficulties obtaining approval to travel to India for treatment.

Residents from townships controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) were previously allowed to travel freely to India for medical treatment until the end of 2025. However, since early 2026, inspections at Arakan Army security checkpoints have become stricter, making travel more difficult for patients.

People requiring surgery and specialized treatment are traveling to Mizoram State in India, but many say they are struggling to obtain recommendation letters while also facing concerns related to conscription enforcement.

A woman in Kyauktaw said: “It is very difficult to request recommendation letters to go to India for medical treatment. The medical certificate cannot simply be obtained from the doctor you consulted. It requires recommendations from township medical officers or senior physicians. After that, the application must go step by step through the ward, tract, township and military region levels. It is also not something you can obtain every day. I want them to relax the requirements for people seeking medical treatment due to poor health.”

Patients say that a doctor’s recommendation alone is insufficient, and they must spend additional time and money obtaining further endorsements from township medical officers and senior physicians, along with several layers of recommendation letters.

Although the Department of Public Health under the ULA is providing healthcare services in Arakan Army-held areas, some residents continue traveling to India due to shortages of healthcare workers, medicines and medical equipment.

Due to measures related to the National Defence and Emergency Provisions for public conscription (NDEP), authorities in townships controlled by the Arakan Army have temporarily suspended issuing travel recommendation letters to young and middle-aged traders. People traveling for medical reasons are currently permitted to travel only after obtaining multiple recommendation letters.

“Requesting a medical certificate is the most difficult part. You have to visit hospitals and clinics repeatedly to apply step by step. It cannot be completed within one or two days. Some people go because doctors here cannot treat them, while others want to receive treatment before their condition worsens. It is especially difficult for such people. I want the ULA to ease the restrictions for patients like us,” said a woman in Mrauk-U who plans to seek treatment in India.

Some patients suffering from severe illnesses that cannot be treated within the Arakan Army-held territory are forced to travel to the India border area for treatment.

Hospitals and clinics in areas controlled by the Arakan Army reportedly lack specialists such as obstetricians, gynecologists, orthopedists, neurologists and ophthalmologists. Patients with serious illnesses are often treated only by general practitioners.

Residents say hospitals are overcrowded with hundreds of patients each day, forcing even emergency patients to wait more than a week for appointments.

Although the ULA is attempting to provide healthcare services for local residents through its healthcare system in Arakan State, public access to comprehensive medical treatment remains limited due to shortages of medicines, doctors and equipment.