Abstract
Purpose: Radiology global outreach programs have increased in recent years but progressed more slowly than other specialties. Establishing radiology services is increasingly recognized as a priority in resource-limited settings. Myanmar has a tremendous disease burden that is treatable with interventional radiology (IR) techniques, and aims to grow and effectively integrate this service into its public healthcare sector. Through collaborations between Asia Pacific Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (APSCVIR) and Myanmar Radiological Society (MRS), the field of IR has grown exponentially over recent years. This study aims to provide a Myanmar national IR report on the current trends and future challenges. Methods and materials: Descriptive variables across five domains (facility and equipment, workforce, supplies, infrastructure, and casemix) from the four public sector hospitals with IR capability were obtained between 2016-2019. The four hospitals were Yangon General Hospital (YGH), Yangon Specialty Hospital (YSH), Mandalay General Hospital (MGH), and Defense Services General Hospital (DSGH). Data were analyzed to demonstrate progress in IR and the differing casemix. Results: There are currently four IR-capable hospitals and nine interventional radiologists across Myanmar’s public healthcare sector. IR case volumes tripled from 514 cases in 2016 to more than 1,500 cases in 2019. The three most common procedures performed were trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE, 63%), bronchial arterial embolization (BAE, 7.7%), and drainages (7.7%). Significant challenges to the growth and adoption of IR services span the domains of infrastructure, equipment and supplies, workforce, and IR awareness, among other clinical specialties. Conclusion: Myanmar’s healthcare priorities, coupled with international radiological outreach programs, have led to rapid growth of IR. The exponential growth in case volumes is promising for Myanmar and other developing countries. But to widen the scope of practice and integrate the service within local clinical workflows, a holistic effort that addresses multiple domains is needed in the future.
Highlights
Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, Thailand and the Andaman Sea
Significant challenges to the growth and adoption of interventional radiology (IR) services span the domains of infrastructure, equipment and supplies, workforce, and IR awareness, among other clinical specialties
This review aims to provide a national report on the current trends of interventional radiology (IR) within Myanmar’s public sector since the established initiative coordinated by APSCVIR and Myanmar Radiological Society (MRS)
Summary
Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, Thailand and the Andaman Sea It has an area of 261,288 square miles, a population of 54 million, and a population growth rate of 0.85% [1]. It has a tropical climate with a population concentrated along coastal regions, and urban areas accounting for roughly one third of its total population. The largest city, Yangon, is located near the southern coast and has a population of 5.3 million. The second largest city, Mandalay, located in the country’s central region, was a former economic center. The GDP per capita is $6,674 USD, with major economic contributions to GDP coming from agricultural and oil and gas sectors [3]
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