2ND LEAD

Makeshift-hospital struggles without medicines

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 March 2009, 15:57 GMT]
"Due to exhaustion of stocks of important medical supplies and the demonstrated inability of the District officials to resupply essential medicines, we are unable to operate the hospital. We are saddened that many sick and wounded who need immediate attention, including children and new borns have to suffer serious consequences because of this action," said Dr T Varatharajah, in a letter sent to the Provincial Commissioner of Health Services for the North and East provinces.

The letter was copied to the Red Cross (ICRC) co-ordinator for the NorthEast, Dr Jeganathan.

Sri Lanka military has herded more than 250,000 into the demarcated safe zone area, which has come under continuous bombardment from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and aerial attacks.

An estimated 2800 civilians have been killed in the last two months and more than 7000 injured, according to conservative estimates.

BBC in a report Saturday said that a senior Sri Lankan government official had told the BBC defence ministry has to yet authorize delivery of "some of the medicine requested by the hospital" and that the medicine has been "sent to the nearest major town."



Chronology: