
Mullaithivu District Hospital comes under SLA shelling for the second time in a year
On Monday, 15 December, the Mullaithivu District Hospital came under the artillery fire of the SLA for the second time in a year.
The hospital Superintend, Dr Shanmugarasa, said that the hospital came under shelling from 2.00pm and that one shell exploded very close to a ward and another fell on the hospital water tank. Fortunately no one was injured though there were a few patients including pregnant mothers. Following the shelling, all the patients were transferred to Puthukudiyiruppu Hospital. Dr Shanmugarasa said that arrangements are also being made to shift the Mullaithivu Hospital to its old buildings for safety. Mullathivu hospital, the second biggest hospital inside Vanni, came under heavy artillery fire earlier on 9 August 2008 when shelling caused damages to the doctor’s quarters and several more shells fell inside the hospital complex. The largest hospital in Vanni, the Kilinochchi hospital, also came under artillery fire recently on 25 October when the outer wall of the hospital was damaged. Two years ago, on 1 November 2006, the precinct of the Kilinochchi hospital was bombed, causing damages to the ceiling of the hospital and forcing more than 1000 patients to flee in panic. In November 2006, Vaharai hospital in Batticaloa around which IDPs had sought protection from shelling and bombing was also attacked by the SLA with shelling and bombing.
16 December 2008
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