Indian military team to set up hospital in Pulmoddai

T V Sriram

Colombo, Mar 11 (PTI) An Indian military medical team
will set up a temporary hospital in Pulmoddai in Sri Lanka's
eastern province on Friday to provide aid to civilians trapped
in the war between the government forces and the LTTE, for the
first time since the IPKF mission in 1987.

The 52-member medical team, which arrived here on
Monday, today left for Pulmoddai in the Eastern Trincomalee
district, where it will set up a health centre to treat the
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) fleeing from the war zone
in Wanni.

Minister for Healthcare and Nutrition, Nimal Siripala
de Silva, met the members of the Indian medical team before
their departure for Pulmoddai.

The Indian team comprising of 8 physicians and
surgeons besides other assisting staff will set up an
emergency medical unit and hospital to cater to the medical
requirements of the IDPs being evacuated from northern Lanka.

The Minister thanked India for extending its
assistance in this critical field and said it symbolised the
close friendship between India and Sri Lanka.

On this occasion, the High Commissioner of India Alok
Prasad also handed over to the Minister the consignment of
medicines being gifted by India to Sri Lanka.

The medicines are valued at approximately SLR 70
million.

Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner
underlined India's commitment to continue assiting Sri Lanka
in meeting the urgent medical needs of the IDPs.

According to Sri Lankan officials, about 30 houses
have already been allocated for the Indian team.

The Indian team is to begin work from the field
hospital in Pulmoddai from March 13.

"For the moment the hospital will have only 50 beds.
We hope to send the other injured to the hospital in (nearby)
Padaviya. The new hospital will have a surgical unit, an X-ray
unit and a laboratory. We hope to have all basic facilities in
this hospital," Health Secretary Dr Kahandaliyanage said. PTI
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