A 68-year-old former teacher died while undergoing an operation to remove 11 of her teeth at Asia Royal Cardiac and Medical Care Center in Rangoon on Nov. 22 after she had been hospitalized two weeks earlier for renal failure.

In what may be another case of medical malpractise in Burma, no mention was made of the accident in the state-run press. Meanwhile, police officers interrogated the family of the deceased after they allegedly spoke to an exiled news agency.

The patient, Khin Kyi, was taken to the Asia Royal hospital, one of the country's most exclusive private clinics, on Nov. 7 suffering from kidney failure.

According to one of her relatives, while Khin Kyi was recovering in hospital she complained of toothache and was examined by dental surgeon Dr. Kyu Kyu Swe Win who ordered a biopsy from her mouth.

The family member, who declined to be named because of possible reprisals, said that Khin Kyi was admitted into an operating theater on Nov. 21 to have 11 of her teeth removed. She lost consciousness during the operation while under a general anaesthetic.

The 68-year-old grandmother was moved to intensive care, but passed away without regaining consciousness on Nov 22, the relative said.

According to the death certificate issued by Asia Royal hospital, Khin Kyi died of natural causes or "old people's disease" in Burmese parlance.

When the clinic in question was contacted by The Irrawaddy, it refused to respond to questions.

According to Khin Kyi's relative, no action has been taken to date against Dr. Kyu Kyu Swe Win or the anaesthetist. 

Dr Kyu Kyu Swe Win, DDS, PhD, is an executive committee member with the Myanmar Dental Association and a member of the governing council of the Asian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

The identity of the anaesthetist involved in the operation is as yet unknown.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy, one of Khin Kyi's relatives said they were unsatisfied that no measures had been taken against the surgeons and the family were considering reporting the case to the Myanmar Medical Council.

Dr Zaw Ye Myint, a Rangoon veterinary surgeon who has been an outspoken critic of the Burmese medical profession told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday: “There are many cases of medical malpractice in Burma. It is even more dangerous in rural areas."

The editor of a Rangoon-based journal told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that news and details of the incident had been reported to the media in Rangoon, "but the censorship board did not allow us to print it."

Burma's notorious censorship board, the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, has cracked down recently on the publication of stories about social issues in Burma.

The latest round of censorship follows a flurry of articles about the death of a student, Khine Shunn Leh Yee, 15, who died as a result of a surgeon's malpractice in a private Rangoon clinic in October.

San Moe Wai, the secretary of the exiled Burma Media Association, said, "Nowadays, Burmese people are more open and dare to express their grievances.

"Although the military junta has banned real news, people and local media should collaborate to show what is happening in this society. I urge Burmese people to cooperate with the media.”  

According to BBC News on Jan. 2, Dr. Myat Thu, the managing director of the Asia Royal hospital, said that the dental surgeon and anaesthetist had gone to the home of Khin Kyi's family and apologized.

However, according to a relative, the family was visited and questioned by police officers about 12 hours after they had spoken to a Thailand-based news agency, Kaowao Newsgroup.