Outbreak of skin disease reported in Vavuniyaa IDP camps

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 August 2009, 09:23 GMT]
The outbreak of skin diseases among hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people from Vanni detained in several camps in Vavuniyaa has been reported. “They mostly complain of continuous itchy skin. They say the itching only starts when they wash. This may be due to the different levels of minerals found in the water that could cause irritation,” a medical officer who spoke on conditions of anonymity told Colombo media.

These IDP camps are described as ‘internment camps’ by human rights organizations and activists.

Health authorities in Vavuniyaa say that the stage of epidemic level has not reached although skin diseases are prevalent among IDPs..

Medical sources working in these camps say that many inmates have been complaining to doctors regarding skin conditions.

“If we find a case of scabies we treat the entire family so that it does not spread,” a medical officer said.