Help bureau set up:

Govt reunites IDP families

P. KRISHNASWAMY

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has appointed a special team of senior Government officials to reunite Internally Displaced families, following reports that a large number of them had been separated from their families during their escapade to Vavuniya and are now in a state of psychological trauma, Health Ministry sources told the Sunday Observer.

The team is now in Vavuniya collecting details of all families who were separated in an effort to reunite them and this process will be completed soon, the sources said. A ‘family-help bureau’has also been set up to reunite those separated from their families.

The Health Ministry has also despatched a team of 207 doctors on internship to hospitals in Mannar, Poovarasankulam, Vavuniya (Teaching Hospital), Padaviya, Medawachchiya, Keppetigollawa, Anuradhapura and Kurunegala where the sick and injured among the IDPs are being treated to meet the shortage of doctors, the sources said adding that this was a sequel to a cabinet paper submitted by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Over 170,000 civilians fled the Mullaitivu `No Fire Zone” braving LTTE threats and of them about 150,000 are housed in 24 transit centres and four welfare villages in Vavuniya and Chettikulam while the rest are housed in centres in Jaffna and Mannar. The IDPs in Vavuniya are being well looked after, with provision of shelter and other basic facilities.

About 200,000 residents of Vavuniya, the business community, religious organisations, sports clubs, NGOs and INGOs have joined hands with the Government in extending relief assistance, including parcels of cooked food and drinking water, Government Secretariat sources said.

The field hospital that has been set up by the French Government at Chettikulam in the vicinity of the Welfare villages is equipped with about 50 beds and a team of about 60 medical staff including surgeons, specialists and nurses.

A 100-bed hospital with a surgical team will be launched soon in the vicinity of the Menik Farm welfare village with assistance from Medecins Sans Frontieres and an MoU in this connection has been already signed.

The ICRC too has consented to provide a 100-bed hospital with all facilities for the benefit of the IDPs and it will be built by the end of this month, the sources said.