Myanmar's Kalay Prison Authorities Demand Bribes up to 1.5 Million Kyats for Medical Referrals, Activists Report

Authorities at Kalay Prison in Sagaing Region are demanding bribes ranging from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 MMK (approx. $260–$395 USD) from sick inmates in exchange for essential outside hospital transfers, according to a statement released on September 24 by the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM).

During a recent internal medical review conducted by specialist physicians from Kalay Public General Hospital, doctors determined that 80 prisoners, including 50 political detainees, required urgent outside hospital care. However, prison officials have granted hospital referrals to only nine inmates so far, including just four political prisoners.

A family member of a political prisoner told Mizzima that hospital admission has become a luxury accessible only to families who can pay off authorities.

Those who cannot afford bribes are sent to an outside hospital only when they are on the verge of death, with some dying en route and others passing away shortly after returning home.

PPNM revealed that the monthly medical budget allocated for Kalay Prison stands at a meager 1,000,000 MMK ($260 USD) for 1,000 inmates, averaging just 1,000 MMK ($0.26 USD) per prisoner per month. Facilities lack essential emergency supplies, including oxygen and specialized pharmaceuticals, leaving staff able to provide little beyond basic pain relievers and Vitamin C supplements.

Recently, a criminal convict in his late twenties died of asphyxiation upon arrival at an outside medical facility due to the complete lack of emergency oxygen support during transit.

According to PPNM, extortion payments are systematically split across the prison hierarchy, involving lower-level guards, ward wardens, the prison hospital medical superintendent, the Deputy Superintendent, and the Prison Superintendent.

Wealthy inmates and individuals convicted under drug trafficking statutes frequently bribe prison officials to secure comfortable stays at outside medical facilities despite having no genuine health conditions. Conversely, political prisoners are routinely denied treatment, sent back to cells prematurely, or left without care for years.

In explicit cases of medical neglect, 32-year-old former political prisoner Salai Van Ceo Thawng, who was repeatedly denied treatment behind bars in Kalay Prison, died of cancer on September 13, less than a year after his release. Similarly, 60-year-old political prisoner Soe Moe Naing (also known as Dein Daung) died at Myingyan Prison in Mandalay Region on September 15 after authorities repeatedly denied him emergency medical intervention.

PPNM declared that prison administrators and the junta's Correctional Department bear full legal and moral responsibility for systematic medical neglect and extortion, vowing to pursue international accountability for those responsible.