Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Hoax about dead and injured in Mullaittivu exposed

An "urgent appeal" doing the rounds in the media and political circles, UN and relief agencies, and as a extensively distributed e-mail message referring to a "Human Catastrophe and Medical Emergency" in the Wanni, reporting the supposed deaths of more than 300 and injury to 1000 in Mullaittivu is found to be a total fabrication.
This is issued as an "URGENT APPEAL to the Government of Sri Lanka, the ICRC, the UN and the international group of people for medical supplies and medical teams to be sent to the Mullaittivu district." This false plea refers to an "acute lack of necessary drugs and medical personnel in hospitals in the Mullaittivu District", aims at showing a major humanitarian tragedy in the area.
This false "appeal" refers to "heavy fighting and nonstop multi-barrel artillery gunfire has resulted in more than that 300 inside displaced persons life form killed and over 1000 'hundred' upset in Suthanthirapuram, Udaiyaarkaddu and Vallipuram in the Mullaittivu District".
Dr. Varatharaja, the Regional Director of Health Services (RDGS) Mullaittivu, who is supposed to be the inventor of this "appeal" has deprived of any friendship with it, and states its inside are false and overstated; that it has not originated from him or his office, and that he does not agree with its contents, and that this "appeal" dispersed in order to humiliate him.
Here is the text of the statement issued by Dr. Athula Kahandliyanage, Secretary, Ministry of Healthcare & Nutrition, establishing that this "appeal" is a total manufacture The text of the false plea follows.
Your kind notice is drawn to an appeal 26/01/2009, which has been dispersed widely including to political circles and the media, supposed to have been published by Dr. Varatharaja, local Director of Health Services (RDHS), Mullaitivu vocation for the notice of the Government, Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, ICRC, UN Agencies and international group of people to the alleged 300 deaths and 1000 upset of civilians livelihood in the uncleared areas of the Mullaitivu district as a result of incessant multi barrel weaponry shelling, during heavy hostility in those areas of the Mullaitivu district.
It also says that there is an acute lack of essential drugs and medical workers in the hospitals in the Mullaitivu district and has given a list of drugs that are in short supply and appealed for immediate provide of these and extra medical personnel.
As Secretary of Healthcare & Nutrition, I feel it is my duty to share with you the following. I am in get in touch with with Dr. Varatharaja, RDHS Mullaitivu and with Dr. Sathyamoorthy, RDHS, Kilinochchi frequently and at present on a daily basis by telephone. The Advisor for North and East to the Hon. Minister of Healthcare & Nutrition, Dr. V. Jaganathan is in steady contact with these Directors. Dr. V. Jeganathan has been chosen specially to organize and provide necessary provisions and help to uphold the Health Services in the North & East. All the drugs and provisions requested by the uncleared areas even before the caring operations were in progress in Vanni were full without a break, up to now. The 2009 first district of drugs to Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi has been sent. The Mullaitivu supplies are awaiting road permission and will be delivered soon. act is being taken by the Ministry to speed up the process.
I must talk about here that the first district drugs to these districts have been dispatched by the Ministry on main concern even previous to the other districts were full. also I wish to state with utmost blame that I have been contacted by Dr. Vartharaja twice today, 27/1/2009 and he has firmly denied that the above mentioned public plea has been made by him or originated from his office and he further affirmed that he does not agree with the contents of this appeal and that its inside are false and overstated in order to humiliate him. However, he requested me to expedite the delivery of the first district drugs from Vavuniya as the stocks were receiving exhausted.
He further said that he does not have right of entry to e-mail or fax facility to let go such a declaration and expressed his dismay and anxiety about it. It is therefore clear that this has been done by unhelpful rudiments with sinister motives who want to humiliate the government and associate Dr. Varatharaja with false misinformation. He also sought advice from me as to what he should do when the troops higher towards the Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital. I advised him to move into the cleared areas with the patients to which ask for he very clearly replied that the LTTE has not given him consent to do so and that he feared to do it without their consent.
He also said that there had been only six deaths and 15 injured following a shell falling into the Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital last week and on further inquiry, he said he was not sure whether it was fired by the government armed forces or LTTE. He also said that there were about 300 injured admitted to Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital throughout the last few days.
Gathering from what was exposed, I am of the view that so many civilians have not been wounded as claimed by the above let go. It has been found that the terrorists brawl in civil clothes and when they get injured they can be mistakenly considered as civilians. Furthermore, the terrorists by force keeping the civilians as a person shield may result in civilians getting wounded by accident.
I would plea to the UN and other powerful groups to influence the terrorists to let go the civilians from their care and allow them to get to empty areas where we have arranged medical services to treat them.
Here is the text of the false release
Office of the Regional Director of Health Services
Mullaitivu
26 January 2009
Human Catastrophe & Medical Emergency in the Vanni
Heavy fighting and incessant multi barrel weaponry shelling has resulted in more than 300 Internally displaced parsons being killed and over 1000 hundred upset in Suthanthirapuram, Udaiyaarkaddu, and Vallipuram in the Mullaitivu District.
We are creation an URGENT APPEAL to the Government of Sri Lanka, ICRC, the UN, and the International community for medical provisions and medical teams to be sent to the District to help our staff. We at present only have 9 MMBS Doctors.
The nature of the injuries and the number of the injuries is such that if these medical supplies, do not reach your destination in the next 24 hours many of the upset will die
Needs;
1) Blood Bags
2) Blood Transfusion sets
3) IV Fluids
- Hartmanns
N.Saline
Haemaceai
- Dextrose
Gelafusin
4) IV giving set
5) IV Cannulas of different size
6) Antibiotics
IV - Benzyl pennicilllin
Ampicillin
- Cloxaclilin
Cepazoilin
Ceftriaxone
Metranidazole
Gentamycin
Tazosin
Oral
Amoxicillin
Cioxacillin
CephaleXin
Metranidazole
Augmentin
Dressings
Gauze
Bandage
Cotton
Analgesics
V - Morphine
- Pethadine
Fontanil
Oral
Paracetamol
Ibuprufen
oral morphine
Panedina forte
lndocid
Anaesthetic Drugs
Ketamine
-Propofol
-Thiopental
Suxamethonium
-atrcurium, Rocuronium,Pancuroni
-Neostigmine
-Atropine
Hydrocartisone
Maxalon,Ondenstron,Phenargan
Local anasthatics
lignocaine
lignocaine with adrenaline
ETT Tubes
Urinary catheters, Bags
Intercoatal drainage tube
-Surgical Stuff
-Surgical blade
-Suture meterials
-Vicryl 1.0,2.0,3.0,0.0
Nylon
Proline 2.0,3.0,4.0,5.0
Catgut 0.0,1.0,2.0,3.0
Silk
Suturing needles
Mlscalanious
anti malarials

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