Sinhalese medical officers in Jaffna to be given protection

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 November 2008, 14:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities, during a meeting with Sinhalese medical officers serving in Jaffna peninsula Thursday in Jaffna, agreed to provide Police and SLA protection with effect from Monday to all hospitals including Jaffna Teaching Hospital where Sinhalese medical officers work, sources in Jaffna said. This move comes in the wake of the Sinhalese medical officers in Jaffna peninsula announcing their decision to leave Jaffna peninsula for security reasons, triggered by the killing of a Sinhalese doctor in Eastern Province.

Earlier, Sinhalese medical officers in the North and Eastern province announced their intention to leave the provinces because of the threat to their lives.

Making arrangements for the Sinhalese medical officers serving in the islets of Jaffna and other rural hospitals to spend the nights in Jaffna town was also discussed in the above meeting, the sources added.

Many Sinhalese medical officers have completed duty for more than two years in Jaffna peninsula.