Health officials close Vavuniya College of Education

[TamilNet, Monday, 11 October 2004, 17:05 GMT]
Health officials Monday closed down the Vavuniya College of Education for three weeks after seventy students and teachers suffered from dysentery since Sunday night. The Vavuniya Medical Officer of Health (MOH) found stagnating garbage and leaking cesspits in the college when its premises were inspected Monday after students and teachers started to fall ill.

College authorities Monday refused to let journalists inside the campus to investigate the situation there.

Medical Superintendent of the Vavuniya Hospital, Dr. S. P Sathiyapalan, told TamilNet he could not ward all the patients from the college due to shortage of facilities. Many had to be treated and sent home, he said.