Moothoor hospital lacks staff, Colombo apathetic to fill vacancies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 January 2011, 14:43 GMT]
Severe shortage of doctors and nurses prevail in the Moothoor Base Hospital when hundreds of thousands of people who need urgent medical attention languish in camps due to displacement following flood and rain. Colombo health ministry has ignored several requests repeatedly made by the provincial health administrators to send more doctors to provide better services flood affected families who are prone epidemic, local health authorities said.

Moothoor hospital currently transfers, by sea and land routes, all serious cases to Trincomalee general hospital.

Only three medical officers are working in the hospital apart from the District Medical Officer (DMO) who is in charge of the administration. Opening for 15 medical officers exist in the hospital.

Only 21 nursing staff out of the allocated 50 are working in the hospital.

Moothoor base hospital is the second oldest medical institution in the Trincomalee district.