Kantarawaddy Times
Villages in the Dela Kyo area of western Hpruso Township, Karenni State, are seeing a rising number of skin infection cases and need medical assistance, a local health worker said.
“This has been going on for a while now. It spreads, and it recurs. It’s affecting people of all ages,” the health worker said.
Children make up the largest share of cases, though older adults are affected too. In some children, the infection is severe enough that the whole scalp is covered in pus-filled blisters.
Treatment currently requires oral medication and topical ointment, but the free clinic can’t fully meet the demand, leaving patients struggling to afford medicine on their own.
“Each patient needs about five tubes of ointment. Since we’re a free clinic, we can only give out two tubes instead of the five needed. We tell them to buy the rest themselves, but many can’t afford it, so the infection keeps coming back,” the health worker added.
Some patients have had the infection persist for a full year with no improvement. The health worker attributed the recurring infections to insufficient medicine, patients’ inability to afford treatment, and lack of access to proper hygiene.
The Dela Kyo area has a population of over 1,000, including displaced people who fled fighting in Demawso and Hpruso towns.
