Thirukovil hospital has no medical officers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 June 2006, 01:50 GMT]
Thirukovil district hospital in the Amparai district is without a medical officer for the last five days causing immense hardship to large number of patients who seek medical attention, civil sources said.Two Sinhalese medical officers working in the hospital have gone leave since Monday.

Out Patients Department (OPD) of the hospital has been closed down and patients are going to Akkaraipattu hospital located about 10 km off from Thirukovil. Five pregnant women are reported to have delivered their babies on their way to Akkaraipattu hospital from Thirukovil in recent days, civil sources said.

A camp of the Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is located on one side of Thirukovil hospital. A police post is located on the rear of the hospital.

Several citizens have complained to Mr.K.Pathmanathan, Amparai district parliamentarian about the lack of facilities in Thirukovil hospital, sources said.

Civil groups in Thirukovil have decided to launch a protest campaign if the hospital is not provided adequate medical officers to serve the people immediately, sources said.

Thirukovil is located about 74 km off south of Batticaloa town, and has a population of about fifty thousand.