Donate Here

Rural Healthcare System Strengthening: Kha Ba Lone Mobile Clinic

A volunteer nurse treating a patient during a clinic visit

A volunteer nurse treating a patient during a clinic visit

The Hsayadaw (abbott) of Kha Ba Lone has been operating a mobile clinic from his monastery at the base of Mount Zwegabin in Kayin (Karen) state for almost one year. He is a rare example of a monk who is operating a social welfare service funded entirely through a system of local donations - a system fairly typical in Myanmar, although donations are not often redistributed to the local community.

Every week the clinic travels to one of the smaller neighbouring towns in the district of Hpa-An - including Kyondoe, Kawkareik, Ein Do, Ka Ma Maung and Tha Manya - where a local committee has prepared a basic treatment room in a local monastery or school and advertises the clinic amongst nearby villages. Whilst the Kha Ba Lone clinic - which treats on average 250 patients each week - is equipped with three vehicles and one four-wheel drive Toyota bus, and a team of eight volunteer doctors and twelve volunteer nurses, the Hsayadaw’s present model of care is unsustainable: patient records are inefficient, costs are not monitored, and referrals are ad-hoc. The Trust intends to pilot a funding scheme which will strengthen these areas and ensure a budgeted and systematic approach to medicine provision.

You can support the Kha Ba Lone clinic in a variety of ways. Please read more about how to donate here:

The mobile clinic's four wheel drive bus

The mobile clinic's four wheel drive bus

Hsayadaw of Kha Ba Lone with one of his ambulances

Hsayadaw of Kha Ba Lone with one of his ambulances