17th Batch of Patients and Civilians trapped in Mullaithivu evacuated with the Naval Assistance
The seventeenth batch of 472 patients and civilians was evacuated on board “MV Green Ocean” on the 3rd April 2009. The evacuation of patients and civilians trapped in LTTE Clutches in the un-cleared areas in Mullaithivu is being carried out under the ICRC flag. Sri Lanka Navy is providing safe passage for evacuees on humanitarian grounds.
The patients among the evacuees, upon disembarkation at Pulmuadai, were provided with emergency medical treatment by Naval doctors and were rushed to the Field Hospital in Pulmudai and the General Hospital in Padaviya by the Naval personnel for further treatment. Elaborate arrangements have been made to treat the sick and the wounded evacuees once they reach cleared areas. Hospitals have been equipped with adequate stocks of essential drugs and specialist medical personnel are assigned to treat the sick and the wounded as they are transferred to hospitals.
The seventeenth batch consisted of 141 adult males, 181 adult females and 150 children in total. Among them were 69 male and 65 female patients needing medical treatment. The evacuees had been languishing in pain and fear due to the LTTE’s adamant stance to hold all civilians captive in the un-cleared areas as human shields despite the repeated appeals by the International Community to free all civilians to arrive in safe areas immediately.
In the meantime, Navy rescued another 30 civilians fleeing from the LTTE hostage in the seas of Chundikulam on the 04th th of April 2009 around 1115 hrs. The rescued, consisting 10 males, 09 females and 11 children had been found huddled together on board a white flag hoisted fiber glass dinghy while attempting to flee from the LTTE clutches in the remaining un-cleared areas of Mulaithivu. Upon rescuing, the rescued civilians were brought ashore at the Munai Beach and provided with much needed food, refreshments and medical assistance.
The Navy, as part of its humanitarian operations, has put in place a number of comprehensive evacuation measures to facilitate the evacuation process. Naval personnel and vessels along with stand-by rescue and medical teams are on special deployment in the North-eastern seas for assisting Tamil civilians fleeing from LTTE clutches.
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| Man in blue helping IDPs | safe among men and women in blue |
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| busy at treating the sick | naval doctor'sconstant eye on the sick |
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| children clinging to naval warmth | caring touch of naval mediacl personnel |
