NorthEast Province receives 9 ambulances from WHO

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 February 2003, 13:55 GMT]
The World Health Organization (WHO) Friday donated eight ambulances worth fifteen million rupees to the Tamil dominated northeast province to provide better medical services to the people in the remote villages who have suffered years with lack of medical attention, provincial health ministry sources said.

The event took place at the Ministry of Health in Colombo Friday in the presence of Minister Mr.P.Dayaratne. The Sri Lanka representative of WHO Dr.Kan Tun handed over the keys of the eight ambulances to the NE Provincial Secretary of Health Mr.R.M.S.Ratnayake.

Colombo ministry officials and NE Provincial Director of Health Services Dr.V.Kumaravetpillai also participated at the event.

Minister Mr.Dayaratne speaking at the event said the supply of ambulances, one each to all the eight districts in the northeast province would certainly help the people living in remote villages in obtaining better medical services. In emergency situation patients from villages could be transported to urban hospitals to provide better medical attention, Mr.Dayaratne added.

The eights districts in the northeast province, Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai are the intended recipients of the ambulances.

Eight drivers who went to Colombo with provincial ministry officials to drive back the vehicles to Trincomalee, sources said.