Since 2007, Not For Sale has worked with local abolitionist, Kru Nam to provide mobile healthcare to stateless people on the streets on Mae Sai. In 2009, we facilitated the donation of $1.9 million worth of medical supplies to the Not For Sale Thailand and local government hospital, enabling them to treat 535 people and make 13,000 visits to date.

In Thailand, stateless individuals are not recognized by the government as citizens and thus are not eligible to receive healthcare and education that otherwise would be free to Thai nationals. With the donated medical supplies, the hospital can provide care to stateless people without risk scrutiny from government, accusing the hospital of using supplies intended for Thai citizens.

A portion of these supplies was also allocated to the local hospital, helping to develop a good relationship between Not For Sale and the doctors there. As a direct result of this, an extremely sick stateless youth was recently able to receive lifesaving medical attention in hospital.

Alak (20) was born into a minority tribal group along the southern border and was forced to flee when his village was caught in the middle of an on-going battle between the Burmese army and a local militia. His family arrived in Mae Sai when he was 6-year-old.

Earlier this year, Alak was stabbed during a drunken altercation in Myanmar and his friends took him to the government hospital. As a stateless person, Alak’s safety and human rights are often ignored but doctors kindly agreed to treat him given his critical condition.

While in the emergency room, he was informed that he had lost a lot of blood and would die if he didn’t receive a blood transfusion. The only blood available was infected with malaria but given the option of dying or catching malaria, Alak chose to receive the transfusion and then used his meager savings to buy the expensive malaria medication.

Recently, a desperate Alak approached the Not For Sale Thailand street team, complaining of several ailments. A number of doctors were visiting the NFS Thailand’s urban drop-in center in Mae Sai were able to examine him and were alarmed by his symptoms.

The drop-in centre provides medical check-ups and washing facilities to stateless people, in addition to offering drug rehabilitation for women and daycare programs for their kids. Most of the children living with Kru Nam,Director of Not For Sale Thailand, come through the drop-in centre.

Alak was brought from the drop-in centre to the local hospital, as doctors feared he might have contracted cerebral malaria. Despite Alak’s lack of nationality and social security number, the doctors were able to administer expensive tests reserved for Thai nationals due to the hospital’s relationship with Not For Sale Thailand.

Alak tested negative for malaria but it was quickly determined that he had contracted tuberculosis. The doctors asked the street team to help monitor Alak, record his symptoms, and make sure that he continues to take his medication.

Everyone is hopeful for Alak to make a full recovery.