Last major medical facility in Tamil-held territory in Lanka non-functional
March 15th, 2009 - 12:21 pm ICT by ANI Colombo, Mar.15 (ANI): The last major medical facility in Tamil-held territory has almost stopped functioning due to medicine shortage, the BBC quoted a Sri Lankan health official, as saying at the weekend. Dr. T. Varatharaja warned that the closure of the hospital would put the lives of thousands of sick and injured people in the conflict zone at extreme risk. His warning comes amid increasing international concern for ensuring the safety of thousands of civilians caught in fighting in Sri Lankas north and east. The Sri Lankan army is trying to take over rebel strongholds in the area, and it is estimated that between 70,000 and 200,000 civilians are in the conflict zone.
Dr. Varatharaja said there was a severe shortage of essential medicine, which was forcing the hospital to shut down most of its operations. The International Committee of the Red Cross has also been warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the conflict zone and called for a mass evacuation of civilians.
The government, however, maintains that it has continued to send food and medicine to the people inside the rebel-controlled territory and rejects allegations of a possible catastrophe. (ANI)
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Tags: allegations, bbc, civilians, closure, colombo, conflict zone, extreme risk, health official, humanitarian catastrophe, international committee of the red cross, international concern, mass evacuation, medical facility, medicine, medicine shortage, sri lankan army, sri lankas, strongholds
