Jaffna Hospital functions despite shortages

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 January 1999, 11:42 GMT]
Despite a shortage of surgical instruments and medical staff, over 1600 surgeries, including nearly 150 major operations are carried out monthly at the Jaffna hospital, said sources there.

A lack of surgeons at the Thellippalai and Manthikai hospitals in Jaffna has been the reason for the high number of surgeries at the Jaffna hospital, they added.

They said that there is also a severe shortage of nurses at the hospital. In addition only one third of the quota for surgical equipment is sent from Colombo and the hospital does not get the allowed quota of drugs every month.

Meanwhile 180 civilians have lost their legs due to land mines in the Jaffna district during the last two years, the sources said.

One hundred and fifty have lost their legs in last year alone, they added.