| Progressive development of health services in Burma is reflected in the 121% increase in the health budget for 1969-70 over the budget for 1961-62. Training programmes have been expanded for doctors, dentists, paramedical staff, nurses, midwives, and health assistants. Health assistants, who perform simple curative measures and a wide range of preventive services in rural areas, receive 2 years academic training plus 3 months in the field. There are also courses for "lady health visitors" and those interested in public health nursing; training is extended to indigenous midwives to help improve maternal care in rural areas. Although postgraduate training has also been increased and hospitals now provide better curative facilities, the main priorities of the national health policy are preventive measures, control of communicable diseases, and community-oriented health programmes. The objectives of the reorganized health service are: (1)to provide comprehensive medical care to peasants who reside in rural areas and constitute 85% of the population; (2)to ensure a uniform improvement in the health status of the whole country; (3)to integrate the curative and preventive services; (4)to unify allied sections of the health services and eliminate duplication; and (5)to decentralize health administration by delegation of authority to the divisional and township levels. At the peripheral level, public health services comprise mother and child health care, school health services, and an expanding network of rural health centres. These centres are managed by a health assistant (responsible to the local township medical officer), aided by a "lady health visitor," four or five midwives, and a vaccinator. |