The Socio-Economic Program is implemented by project-employed teams whose
members are full-fledged staff of MGTC, the pipeline company operated by Total.
In 2005, the teams comprised:
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10 physicians. |
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3 communication officers, known locally as Communication Ladies. |
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4 veterinary doctors, 4 vet technicians, 2 vet auxiliaries |
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3 agronomists and 3 agronomist technicians. |
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All staff members are Myanmar nationals who live in the villages and are
therefore in close contact with the villagers. They associate with the villagers
on a daily basis, not only in performing their jobs but also in the ordinary
circumstances of everyday life.
The physicians were initially assigned, at the
start of the program, to assess the health situation in the region and to set up
an organization geared to meeting the related needs.
They were assisted by a team of specialists from the Pasteur Institute
to establish a program designed to combat malaria in the region, and
by the Myanmar
Ministry of Health. They trained local people (33 health care workers
and midwives) to assist them. In addition to their medical practice,
which brings
them into regular contact with the population (97,173 free medical consultations
in 2006), they have recognized influence in the village, in particular
in the areas of hygiene, food, water supply, family
planning, health monitoring of school-age children and sports activities.
Working at the center of village life, the physicians, who live in the
hospitals or the local health centers that often adjoin the schools,
are respected
authorities whose opinions and advice are sought. They introduce diversity
in a society that considers the elderly and monks to be the wisest,
bring a scientific
perspective to the village and track a range of health and social progress
indicators.
Today 10 medical SE doctors (9 village doctors and a health supervisor) and two government doctors work in the pipeline area, representing 0.29 physician per 1,000 inhabitants versus 0.03 in 1995.
The communication officers initially served to
explain the project to the villagers, help them establish the Village
Communication Committees, observe how the villagers lived, and identify their
needs, problems and difficulties. Their contacts with the population were made
through the established channels, municipal teams and Communication Committees,
meetings with the local VIPs in the monasteries, churches and tea houses, but
also relied extensively on informal "door-to-door" contacts, especially with
women and children.
Assigned to cover 25 villages, the three communication officers, all women,
are constantly on the road, traveling from village to village, and continuously
serve as multi-skilled social workers.
They listen to requests and complaints,
check the information reported by the Village Committees, help to resolve minor
everyday problems, monitor changes in retail prices and supply channels, guide
the villagers in their individual or collective applications to secure aid under
the program, and take part in village events.
Like the physicians, the veterinarians and
agriculturalists employed by the program are consulted and respected for
their expertise. They provide training, support and advice to help farmers in
the region improve their technique and successfully complete the projects they
undertake.
