Tharmapuram hospital struggles to cope with victims of air strikes

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 January 2009, 00:32 GMT]
The hospital located at Tharmapuram, the new administrative centre of Vanni, struggles to cope with a high number of patients as Sri Lankan air strikes and artillery barrage on Wednesday and Thursday killed 10 and caused injuries to more than 50 civilians. The hospital, originally a village level hospital, has to cope with the inpatients of Ki'linochchi hospital, with its short space and lack of medical equipment, was forced to dispatch its vehicles on Thursday seeking blood donors to come forward to donate blood as all blood types in were at critical level.

Five dead bodies were placed at the hospital mortuary, which was constructed to house one dead body.

Victims who received treatment on Thursday said it was the compassionate and exemplary service provided by the medical staff and the civilian volunteers, that keep the hospital functioning.

Spontaneous action by the civilian volunteers in Murasumoaddai in rushing the seriously wounded to the hospital amid shelling by the SLA has saved many victims.