Mae Tao Clinic

Mae Tao Clinic
Geography
Location	Mae Sot, Thailand
Organisation
Type	Clinic
History
Opened	1988

The Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), also known as Dr. Cynthia's clinic after its founder Dr. Cynthia Maung, is a community-based organization (CBO) that has been providing primary healthcare services and protection to communities from Burma/Myanmar in Western Thailand since 1989. It is located in the border town of Mae Sot, approximately 500 km northwest of Bangkok, and serves a population of around 150,000 - 250,000 people who shelter in Burma's mountainous border region and the growing Burmese migrant workers in Thailand.

The clinic offers an average of 110,000 consultations annually, with 52% of patients residing in Thailand, mostly undocumented and displaced due to armed conflicts or poverty, and the remaining 48% crossing the border to seek health services.

History

In 1988, during Burma's ruling military junta's violent suppression of the pro-democracy movement, Dr. Cynthia Maung fled across the border into Thailand and established a makeshift facility in Mae Sot to treat the injuries sustained by fellow refugees. In that year, the clinic treated around 2,000 individuals. Over the years, the clinic has expanded its services to include a range of healthcare services, social services, training, outreach programs, child protection, and health education.

References