Emergency Medical Care in Sri Lanka - Doctors Without Borders 2009

Despite the January 2008 ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fighting in the Vanni region persists into 2009. Security concerns; damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Nisha; access restrictions; and limits on the import of food fuel medicine equipment and other materials have limited the ability of affected populations to access essential services. Emergency food assistance protection sanitation basic health and medical assistance and clean water remain priority needs for those affected by the conflict. With CIDA support Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) is helping to improve access to emergency surgical gynecological and obstetric care at Point Pedro hospital in the Jaffna Peninsula which serves as many as 120 000 individuals in the region. Activities include ensuring the presence of an emergency doctor surgeon gynecologist and anesthetist in the hospital; training medical and paramedical staff; helping to ensure quality hygiene in the operating room; providing support to existing hospital support services (radiology blood bank); developing an emergency-preparedness plan in case of a mass-casualty situation; and data collection and analysis including evaluation of the post-surgical infection rate.