Stories From Health Workers: Shan Medics
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Planet Care
801 Cedar Street
Suite 200
Berkeley, CA 94710
510-594-4027
info@planetcare.org
Noon Lao is 20 years old, petite, moon faced and soft spoken. You can see her heart through her eyes.
She is studying English and Thai as part of her medic training at the Mae Tao Clinic; she is one of several medic trainees from the Shan state in Northeast Burma. Her English proficiency is elementary but she is improving rapidly because she is particularly bright and understands almost everything that is said to her; both its literal meaning and emotional content. She understands the poignancy of a sad story, the happiness of a laugh and the troubled thought of a frown.
She grew up in Taungyi Shan State with 2 younger siblings; her family desperately poor. Because she is the brightest of the children. she was chosen to be the one the family would support through school. Her brother and sister -- denied this opportunity -- work in the fields to support the family. An aunt works in a Shan clinic on the northern Thai border and helped arrange for Noon Lao to enroll in medic training there after illegally crossing the Thai-Burma border. This would be her only hope of decent life -- for herself and her family.
She studied hard enough to earn a place in the Mae Tao Clinic program. Her life there not free or comfortable is still considerably better than in the Shan clinic.
I would visit Noon Lao and her fellow students from Shan state to encourage them and help as I could. A few baht -- less than what I would spend on dinner for two in an American restaurant -- enabled her to call her family (though it took 2 days to coordinate, since her family’s village has only 1 phone) with whom she had not spoken in 2 years. Her brief conversation was bitter sweet. "Why haven’t you called before, Noon Lao? We were sick with worry. Your grandmother is very ill and we have no money for medicine. Please promise you will call us again soon..." Save a little money, Noon Lao, for some clothes, a phone card, and a few dollars to send home. I will help you and the others as I can.
Thailand is cozying up to the Burmese government and there is more uncertainty than ever that the Clinic will survive and it’s staff, students and patients will have safe harbor much less a place to obtain the training to provide the chance for a decent life. The Sword Of Damocles twists on a thinner thread above Noon Lao and her friends as the political winds blow harder. Only those who know can care, and only those who care can help. If we can save the future for Noon Lao we can save it for hundreds.
-- Richard Hahn, MD
Copyright Planet Care
