Egg Freezing & IVF in Myanmar

According to the International Medical Travel Journal, Myanmar attracted under 1,000 medical tourists in 2019. On the other hand, an average of 150,000 Burmese medical tourists go abroad to countries such as nearby Thailand to seek medical treatments and help in the same year.

An article reported that hospitals and other facilities run over capacity and few doctors have received training from abroad. To address these issues, Myanmar is open to foreign specialists and other medical professionals who meet the licensing fee and minimal paperwork requirements. The article further cited the factors that the country can take advantage of to improve its medical tourism industry. For example, the writer said that Burmese doctors are more proficient in English than Thai physicians. Having been isolated from the rest of the world, local health professionals are also more open to learning.

What To Do in Myanmar During Your Medical Vacation

For medical tourists availing of assisted reproductive techniques to address their fertility problems in Myanmar, Shwedagon Pagoda should be the first stop. Located in the largest city, Yangon, the stupa is made up of diamonds and gold leaf. Its esteem comes from the presence of a single hair strand from the Buddha. A five-hour travel from Yangon would take you next to the Golden Rock. It's a pagoda that sits on top of a huge rock that appears to teeter dangerously from a cliff! A sight to behold, both the pagoda and the boulder below it are covered in gold leaf.

The third stop on your Myanmar adventure should be a boat ride in Inle Lake. Besides experiencing the peaceful waters of the lake, you would also get to see Intha stilt huts constructed by the Mon people. The lake trip also includes stops at pagodas, workshops, and a market. Next on the agenda is to relax at a high-end hotel on the white sand beach of Ngapali.

The highest pagoda in Myanmar is Shwemawdaw Paya. The top of the pagoda is encrusted in diamonds so it glitters when seen from afar. As soon as you take your first step inside the pagoda, wonder at the Buddha relics on display. Lastly, take the Irrawaddy River Cruise. On this scenic travel between the ports of Mandalay and Bagan, you will see jungles, canyons, pagodas, and statues of Buddha.

The military has taken over the country in February 2021. The Burmese society responds through protests and demonstrations and the military arrests or violently attacks protesters and bystanders. At this time of writing, there is wide civil unrest and armed conflict throughout Myanmar. Furthermore, there is a lack of healthcare services there right now due to understaffed hospital facilities and unreliable importation of medicines and medical supplies which leads to shortages and unavailability of over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Facebook and Twitter are banned in the country. Due to the stress of these factors, it is not advisable to travel to Burma as of this writing. It is recommended to wait until the national issues with the military are settled.

Once Myanmar is safe for tourists again, the biggest thing to remember is to bring all pristine U.S. dollars. Although major Burmese establishments accept dollars as payment, the Burmese are very choosy when accepting U.S. notes. Bills with normal folds and creases or some stains can be easily rejected at money changers, hotels, and restaurants. Bring lots of small bills too because they often don't have change when you pay using notes with larger amounts.

For transport and travel within the country, the most convenient ways are through domestic flights and buses. If you want to see magnificent views combined with travel, use trains and boats. Other options include hailing taxis, hiring driven cars or self-drive cars, motorbiking, and cycling.

In Myanmar, it is not socially acceptable to ask fertility questions to unmarried women so a study about the lack of addressing family planning and fertility in Yangon mentions that it cannot produce the best results because it does not represent all women residing in Yangon.

The official language is Burmese. Other languages spoken in Myanmar are ethnic minority languages. Many Burmese speak and understand English.