How funds are administered

The BCMF program is run as a partnership with Mae Tao Clinic. Patients (0-18 years old) who require a hospital transfer to Chiang Mai, will be identified at Mae Tao Clinic by local staff and referred to the Program Manager, Kanchana Thornton. She will assess the urgency and the need for special medical procedures.

A decision will be made on the suitability of the patient, taking into consideration many factors, such as:

• cost and availability of resources;
• chances of survival without treatment;
• expected improvement in the quality of life and overall prognosis.

Cases with the greatest likelihood of being corrected with a single surgery will be given priority. The patient will firstly be transferred from Mae Tao Clinic to the local hospital, Mae Sot Hospital, to be assessed. The first priority is to have the patient treated at Mae Sot Hospital, however, if more specialized treatment is required Mae Sot Hospital will sign a referral to Chiang Mai.

Not only do the patients require funding, they also require the expertise of our staff to ensure they arrive safely in Chiang Mai for their treatment. Without assistance from BCMF, it is impossible for Burmese migrants and refugees to travel outside of Mae Sot (it is very difficult to travel within Mae Sot also). The Program Manager has developed a unique working relationship with the Thai authorities and the hospitals in Chiang Mai over the years to ensure the safe passage for BCMF patients from the border to Chiang Mai. Once in Chiang Mai, a staff member will translate between the patient and the hospital staff and arrange travel from the safe-house to the hospital.

BCMF has the support of several organisations and individuals who help us make the program administration possible, including Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, International Support Group (ISG) and Child’s Dream.

Child’s Dream (based in Chiang Mai) are one of our major partners and greatly assist us with the funding of surgery for children under the age of 12 with congenital birth defects including congenital heart disease, hypospadias and meningocele. Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA have been supporting BCMF for many years now and their funds assist us with the funding of children and some adult cases through the Burma Adult Medical Fund as well as our administrative costs.

How funds are managed and used

Medical investigations and procedures, surgery and the cost of treatment of each BCMF patient will be paid for using money from the BCMF program fund. In addition, funds will be used for accommodation, transport, food, and communication costs associated with the patients’ treatment. The money will not be used for day-to-day clinic operations; rather, it will solely contribute to the treatment of children from Burma whose only chance to undergo life-saving surgery is to be referred to a hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Before BCMF was set up children who required surgery had their symptoms treated and lived either severely incapacitated or died prematurely as a result. Our aim is to direct as much money as possible to the treatment of these children and give them the opportunity to lead a healthy life.

In 2008, BCMF assisted 163 patients who were able to get the treatment they so desperately needed. Out of the 163 cases, 12 patients were adults. We had the support of several organisations and individuals including Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, International Support Group (ISG) and Child’s Dream.

In 2011, we are still supported by Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA as well as Child’s Dream, Burma Border Projects (USA), Thai Childrens Trust and individual donors throughout the world.

• View our recently published monthly activity reports

Transparency

Transparency is vital. This website is designed so donors can feel confident that their money is going directly to help these children and not to other costs. All donors will have a choice of whether they wish to be acknowledged in the financial reports, which will be available on this website. Pictures, case histories, and follow-ups will be posted on this site as often as possible. If a donor opts to fund a particular child, a breakdown of costs and a complete report on the child’s progress after the medical treatment will be personally forward to them.

BCMF maintains records and receipts of all funds received and all expenditures made for their projects. A clear audit trail will enable verification of all statements of acquittal and procedures used will be seen to be above public criticism.

Annual Reports will soon be published on this website.

Minimising costs

Administrative costs of BCMF are kept to a minimum as the program is run through the Mae Tao Clinic, is managed by volunteers and donations are processed through partner organisations in Australia, the US and the UK. Goods and services required for the implementation and management of projects are obtained at competitive prices with full documentation and receipts. BCMF utilises their relationship with Thai hospitals in Mae Sot and Chiang Mai to negotiate fair and, where possible, discounted prices for surgical procedures, further stretching the reach of the project to benefit the maximum number of patients possible.

Innovation is another way BCMF reduces costs. Implementing campaigns such as ‘Sponsor a Van’ helps to alleviate logistics costs and enable us to divert more funds to the treatment of patients.