From the Field
“I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust… For He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.”
PSALM 91:2, 11
He is Risen!
We hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday. Our RTC hospital celebrated Easter Sunday by visiting the patients and praying with them. The students decorated eggs, and the preschoolers colored egg pictures. One of the decorated eggs said: JESUS IS STILL KING - AMEN. That is our hope and confidence in spite of the war.
Earthquake Relief
Myanmar’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28 has affected our whole region. Thank you to all who have donated and prayed. Pann Yu, our staff from RTC has been coordinating with a response team in Mandalay and we have been able to help people who were affected by the earthquake in Mandalay, Sagain and Yamethin area.
If you would like to support earthquake relief efforts, you can give here:
Year 5 PA Student Experience: Naw Lah Khu Wah
All Year 5 students are on their 6-week internships at different local KDHW clinics in the K3 or K5 areas. Naw Lah Khu Wah shares about her experience:
As a Year 5 intern PA student, I was placed at the Law Mu Thaw local clinic in K5 for my internship. On average, we see more than 20 patients each day. Most of the cases we encounter are pregnancy-related, and over the past three weeks, we delivered four babies.
One of the most valuable things I’ve learned from this internship is the passion and commitment of the people working at the clinic. Even though they haven't received formal, high-quality healthcare training and don’t earn a salary, their compassion, sacrifice, and dedication deeply inspired me. They’ve strengthened my desire to serve my people with the higher-quality healthcare I’m learning through the Earth Mission PA program.
There are many differences between local clinics like Law Mu Thaw and Rain Tree Clinic, especially in terms of medical equipment and medicine availability. At Rain Tree, we have the tools and resources we need to diagnose and treat various conditions. But in local clinics, you have to make decisions based on what’s available. It’s all about using your critical thinking skills. Because of this, most of the cases we can manage are related to pregnancy.
This experience made me a different person. At Rain Tree Clinic, I have my instructors, doctors, and senior PAs to guide me. If I come across complicated cases, I can discuss with them and learn from their decisions. But in local clinics, we’re seen as coming from a higher-quality healthcare training background, so the staff here rely on us a lot. I felt the weight of responsibility for every patient we saw. I also found myself studying more during my internship to make sure I could give the best care possible.
One case that stood out to me happened a few days ago. An elderly woman came in with blood in her urine. We treated her with what we had, based on her signs and symptoms, but she wasn’t getting better. I reached out to one of the doctors at Rain Tree Clinic online, and he suggested it could be a bladder stone. Since we didn’t have the equipment to confirm the diagnosis or treat her properly, we decided to refer her to Rain Tree Clinic.
This internship changed me, both in how I think and how I carry responsibility as a future PA.
Pray for these Year 5 PA students as they finish their last year of the PA program.
PA PROGRAM // Training in April
Orientation for the new academic year was held April 18 for Year 1 - Year 4 students.
Year 1 students passed bootcamp and have begun classes, including English, Karen history, and computers.
Year 2 students are in introductory lab classes.
Year 3 students are learning skill lab procedures for suturing, normal labor and high blood pressure in pregnancy.
Year 4 students are learning about miscarriage and ultrasounds.
Year 5 students are on their 6-week internships at local KDHW clinics.
Postgraduate PA Surgical and Internal Medicine Training at RTC are taught by Dr. Hsa, Dr. Augustine, and Dr. Zue.
E-TECH PROGRAM // Continuing Practical Skills at RTC
This month, students saw how their engineering and construction skills can directly serve and uplift local communities.
E-tech students constructed a preschool for the children of our RTC staff and local villagers. Students learned construction tasks such as site preparation, foundation work, steel cutting, welding, framing, and roofing. By the end of April, the roof structure was completed. They gained practical experience using construction tools and machines, learned how to measure and cut materials accurately, and improved their teamwork on a real-life site. In addition, students practiced tool management, including organizing tools, checking their condition, and returning them after use. This helped them understand the importance of responsibility, care, and collaboration in a construction environment.
Apart from the preschool project, our students also helped build a new toilet for They Kho Mu Der Village. Previously, the entire village had only one toilet so our students worked with the team to build an additional toilet for better hygiene and health for the community. It was a simple but impactful project, and students learned how small efforts can make a big difference.
RAIN TREE CLINIC // New IPD Complete, Security Update & New Program!
New Buildings
Our new IPD is open! This much-needed building more comfortably houses the patients who need 24-hour care and expands quality training opportunities for our PA students.
The new food storage building is complete. This is used to store rice and other dry goods for over 200 people. Most of our food has arrived to last through the rainy season.
The preschool building is almost finished and we have hired one teacher. Pray for these young students!
Security Update
Due to the security situation, we have had to move patients who cannot move themselves out of the IPD building to safer places. Jets are flying over our campus regularly and everyone is on high alert. We have built some temporary buildings for IPD, OPD and surgery to spread people out. Please pray for the war to pause or stop. Pray for safety.
Transporting Supplies Before Rainy Season
This past month, MANY supplies were sent to RTC. Our LARGE medical supply and equipment order from China arrived and has been inventoried, repacked, and sent on to RTC, along with MANY engineering and construction supplies. Pray for safety along the journey for those driving the boats and trucks.
Natural Farming School Training
We started a new project! The Natural Farming School trains local people in natural farming, food production, animal production, and herbal medicine. Our first goal is to produce more food to feed everyone on campus, increasing self-sufficiency and reducing costs. Long-term, we want to help the Karen people have more diverse, sustainable food supplies and healthier communities. We’re starting the program with 8 students, one instructor, one assistant, and one manager. Pray for this new project.
In April, RTC saw 661 outpatients, admitted 125, performed 84 surgeries, and delivered 11 babies. Nine patients were referred to Thailand for advanced care.
If the injuries are war-related, then ICRC pays for the referral cost. If there are other injuries, then we have several groups we refer to.
MOBILE KAREN SURGICAL HOSPITAL // Two Frontline Locations
In April, the MKSH team saw 151 outpatients, 23 inpatients, and 14 war-related injuries caused by jet bombs and landmines. Two surgeries were performed for chest tube insertion and below-the-knee amputation. We continue to see amputations, mostly on healthy young men. Please pray for God’s strength and peace.
Continue to pray for Naw Gay, a 25-year-old medic, who was severely burned from a fire bomb in a trench leaving burns over her face and both legs. She has been in Chiang Mai for several weeks and is stable. Her eyes are now uncovered so it’s easier for her to communicate. Pray for her body as she heals, that she can fight off infection. Pray for her spirit to stay strong.
New Documentary // “Frontline Hospital”
Matt Blauer has developed a second documentary, titled “Frontline Hospital,” about our own frontline team. The film is screening in Chiang Mai on May 9 and 10 and in Mae Sot on May 17. Head over to Facebook to watch the film trailer or attend the events.