. In the year 1964, while I was in Mandalay General Hospital as a civil assistant surgeon and as chief assistant to Professor Dr. Ba Than, surgeon and rector of Mandalay General Hospital and Mandalay Medical College. I had the opportunity to operate goiters amounting to about 10 cases.
. After an clapse of 9 months I was posted to the so called Naga land as a punishment with the reward of two years service cancelled and an increment stopped for one year.
. Having taken up my new post on 15th January 1965, I became lonely and idle for there were only 6 in patients for malaria fever.

The hospital is a double wooden story built in the year 1954 in remembrance of joint meeting made by Prime Minister U Nu and Prime Minister of India Mr. Pandineru ( Myanmar Indian border conference.
. On my way to hospital I met a lot of goiter cases especially in young Shan girls. Also in Naga who came down from uphill are not exempted from goiter. In order to keep myself busy and to make them have faith and confidence in me I requested the Sawbwa U Saw Mya Sein to give me a helping hand by sending someone for goiter operation.
. A day or two later he brought his niece with a huge adenoma for operation ( Daw Aye Shin ). That lady disagree and afraid to undergo operation and said that nothing is happening to her except its presence. It is true non toxic or endemic goiter usually present no dramatic symptoms and are frequently ignored by the goitrous persons except when they are disfigured.or produce complications.
. At last, Daw Aye Shin agree to under my surgical removal of her adenoma under local. No operation room in that hospital only a room 20x10 feet was used as a theatre and I successfully removed her adenoma thyroid under local infiltration block. Seeing the adenoma in a kidney tray and the patient well-being, almost all the people of that area wish to remove their huge goiters.
. So day in day out with a team of 4, one doctor myself, one nurse Naw Mu Kyi, one ward servant Ma Nyunt and sweeper Aung Thar go on operating goiters and other tumors under local successfully with Gods help.
. Cases from around that area ( Khamti ) and also from outside areas such as Homalin, Mawlike, Chin Hill, Falam Thidin, Hakar, Myitkyina and Monywa etc. sets in for various tumors. The reason of popularity is free surgery and under local and with zero mortality.
. Within 6 months I was surprised to see all sort of tumors in them and thus come to know that not a single doctor who have been posted to upper Chindwin have acted like a surgeon for such ailments. . Thus my mind had being initiated to go along side the Chindwin river to survey their health problems and to go uphill for the same.
. This become the beginning or turning point of my life and career. Visiting almost to all villages uphill on foot with one helper U Tha Lu, vaccinator. I had made goitre surveys, ambulatory surgery for humps and bumps operating mixed parotid tumor under local single handed surgeon without other doctor as assistant and a nurse to help, requested anybody near me to help me only to hold about endless journey had been made throughout the years without considering the so called open season and closed season.
. By visiting to almost all the villages uphill I came to know its endemicity for goitre is very high about 65-70 % by clinical survey. Therefore, I put up a report with documentary photos and figures that the naga hill is highly endemic area for goitre and is necessary to take action for its prevalence and prevention.
. The Minister of Health Col: U Hla Han agreed and send a group of medical specialists as a research team, led by Dr. Kywe Thein, Dr. Dull Mya In, Dr. May May Yee etc. Field survey done earth soil water analysed and iodine excertion in urine output was also analysed and as a final report they do agree that it is highly endemic and iodine seems to be necessary to prevent it. Thus my report for demand of free iodized salt distribution were met and granted.
. With the help and guidance of Myanmar Medical Research team, I have put my heart and soul to accomplish their requirements by using individual card 0,1,2,3. A for type and percentage of the endemicity in Naga Land. Free distribution of iodized salt to Naga was granted but fail to continue after my transfer i.e iodized distribution for only 3 years 1967-1971.
Iodized salt program was so effective that the prevalence of endimicity dropped down from 68 % to 40 % within 3 years.
. When I was in Phyu April 1971 to 1975, I also came to see a lot of goiters in that areas. Many cases of different types of goitre from Laiway, Pyinmana, Thaungoo, Thandaung, Mone, Kyauk Kyi, Nyaung Lay Bin and Yoma areas and villages near the Sittaung river came for goitre operation in Phyu.
. Thus I put up a report that Yoma area is highly endemic for goitre and survey should be done for its prevalence. Action was taken by higher authority and ordered the then A.D of Pegu division Dr. Hla Myint who without see and thought had replying to the higher authority by saying that Dr. Thein Hlaing ( Naga ) Phyu TMO is famous and well known as thyroidectomist therefore goitre cases from all area follow him for removal and thus Yoma is not endemic. Thus, no survey was done though it is highly endemic.
. In 1978, I was promoted as DYAD hospital administration in Bassein Division. On my arrival, I stationed at Kyone Gone hospital and performed ambulatory surgery under local for various diseases. Operating goiters, GI and lumps and bumps, hernias, hydrocaele, gynecological cases all under local and became highly popular for my free service. Then moving from one town to another as a local ambulatory surgeon, operating goiters and all tumors and different diseases in Pyin Kha Yang, Nga Pu Daw, Kyaung Gone, Ah toke, Ye Kyi, Nga Thaing Kyaung, Kyone Pyaw, Hinthada.
. I came to noticed Irrawaddy division though it is low land there are a lot of goiters. In otherwords, it is also highly endemic instead of being sporadic. Its endemicity may be due to frequent flooding of that region or intense glaciation of low areas.
. In 1978 22nd December, when I moved up to Northern Shan State as TMO – I in the so called the Namkham Hospital or Dr. Seagrave Hospital. I was again forced to operate goiters with complications, cosmetic, pressure abnormally large goiters.