SLA denies transport to critical Vaharai patients

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 December 2006, 00:07 GMT]
K. Thurairatnasingham, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for Trincomalee district said Thursday that four civilians including two children are fighting for their lives in Vaharai hospital as the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at Mankerny camp on the A15 route refuses to allow the patients to be transported to Batticaola Teaching Hospital for intensive treatment. His appeals to the Defence Ministry officials and Batticaloa SLA high commands had not been responded favourably, the MP added.

Sivajiharan Johnson, 1½ years old, suffering from hernia, Sabesan Satheeswaran, 7, ailing with brain fever, Gowrimalar Kalidasan, 23, and Lukendra Vigneswaran, 28, both having post natal bleeding, face the risk of death if they are not administered with appropriate medication which are not available at Vaharai Hospital, officials of the hospital said.

The TNA parliamentarian said that when he contacted Disaster Relief Services Minister S. S. Amir Ali, he was willing to help transport the four patients by sea. "But the Minister has not been able to gain access to a suitable passenger boat, the MP said.

Transport of medicines essential to those suffering from serious injuries and infectious diseases admitted at the Vaharai hospital are unable to reach them because of the SLA closure of the A15 route to Vaharai, health officials said.