The last government institution in Kilinochchi town – the main hospital – was yesterday being pulled out into a safer area, following approval from Colombo.
The hospital with patients, records and essential equipment, was being shifted to two schools in Dharamapuram and Urthirapuram, and to two small hospitals in Vishvamadu and Pudukudiyiruppu, some 18 kilometres north of Killinochchi, Provincial Health Services Regional Director Dr. T. Sathyamoorthi told The Sunday Times.
The relocation comes after Dr. Sathyamoorthi sought permission from Health Services Director General Dr. Ajith Mendis, explaining the ground realities and the difficulties faced by the doctors. At present the hospital is manned by some 20 doctors and 235 other staff members.
A large number of patients were warded in the hospital at the time of relocation and some 150 patients were yet to be transferred, Dr. Sathyamoorthi said.
He said they were facing a logistical problem in shifting the seriously ill patients, ands most importantly the giant generator which supplies power to the refrigerators in which vaccines, medicines and blood were stored.
He said the hospital buildings were also slightly damaged in aerial bombardment and shelling in the vicinity. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was monitoring the situation but did not make further comments.
Meanwhile in a related development, the District Secretariat in Kilinochchi was also shifted to a makeshift complex at a playground in Kandaveli and a few other public buildings nearby.
Most of the records from birth, death and marriage certificates to land deeds etc. are kept at the playground till a suitable building could be acquired in a safe area, Kilinochchi District Secretary N. Vedanayagan said.
The hospital and the Secretariat were the last two remaining government institutions that were functioning in Kilinochchi after all the others had closed down and left the area following the escalation of hostilities between the security forces and the LTTE.
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