Right to Health of Internally Displaced Persons - IDP SriLanka

as Janakapura , Kiri Ibbanwewa, Athawetunuwewa have reduce the
number of patients coming to hospitals including, pregnant and feeding
mothers. This indirectly causes the patients to disregard their illnesses at
first stage and only after it become worse; it is being referred to the
doctor. Soon after the resettlement of people in Yakawewa,
Kanugahawewa of Kebithigollewa, the mobile medical services was
functioned once a week but at present it is functioning only twice a
month. People of the area appreciated the previous visits carried out once
a week and the security problems and transport difficulties urge frequent
mobile services to the villages.
Lack of transport facility is one of other issues that affect the people in
Batticaloa and pregnant mothers in most of the villages in Batticaloa
west, have to walk 2km or 3km distance to arrive to the available
hospital. In villages like Iruddusolaimadu, Pawatkodichchenai,
Ganthinagar and Unnichchai of Vavunathivu it was reported that there
have been numbers of snake bites but due to lack of transport facilities
they could not take the patients to the hospitals on time. In some villages
people face difficulties to go to the hospitals during the night because
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during the emergency, traveling by motorbike and tractor is prohibited .
In Trincomalee, it was also observed that since the road from Seruwila to
Uppural is closed since April 2006, the resettled people in Uppural have
to walk Illankaithuraimugathuwaram medical clinic which is situated 5
Kilometers away from their village and this fact has caused irregular
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attendance to clinics .
Treatment and management of minor ailments
Co-ordinate with the local medical institutions/authorities to establish mobile
medical teams to visit temporary shelters for the displaced daily and provide
treatment.
Refer and transport those that require institutional care.
“Provisional guidelines for emergency management of public health problems of the IDPs” issued by the
Epidemiological Unit of Ministry of Healthcare & Nutrition for Batticaloa Health Staff-Section 5-See
Annexure VI
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Source- Fact finding mission at Batticaloa West by NPDS for IDPs Project on 27th,
28th , 29th ofAugust 2007
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Source-Remedial Institution's Co-ordination Mechanism Meeting Tricomalee
District MINUTES, 26th February 2008
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