A much-needed Church-run clinic caring for the desperately poor in Yangon is being kept alive primarily through small donations made by local contributors.

Staffed by nine doctors and three nurses, the survival of Lazarus Clinic situated in the compound of St. Lazarus Church, is dependent on a donation box situated inside the building.

“With donations from patients and from members of the public we raise almost Kyats 40,000 (US$40) a month,” said Nant Jacinta 54, a nurse.

“With this we are able to keep the clinic open and serve needy patients,” she told ucanews.com.

Without the clinic, many poor people would go without medical care putting them at risk, she added.

The Lazarus Clinic’s staff are all volunteers.

The clinic charges nothing for those who can’t afford to pay. Instead it asks for a 500 Kyat donation from better off patients and is able to supply three days worth of medicines and antibiotics.

“I would really like to thank everyone at the clinic for providing me with medicine and the fact they treat anyone regardless of religions and race,” said Daw Ohn Kyi, 60, a Buddhist housewife suffering from hypertension.

According to the staff, the clinic gives them a great sense of pride.

“It is a great privilege for us to look after the poor patients even for those of us who have retired, and we’ve learnt a lot from the patients,” Doctor Rita Thwin told ucanews.com.

The majority of patients going to the Lazarus Clinic suffer from coughs, gastritis, fevers, asthma, flu, bronchitis, dysentery, pneumonia and hypertension, she said

The clinic serves 100 to 200 patients each month.

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MY10207.1607