A baby was born and the mother heaved a sigh of relief in a dramatic event which unfolded on board the passenger ship, MV Green Ocean at 0446 hrs this morning (the 07th June). The ship, chartered by the Commissioner General of Essential Services, was transporting one hundred and ninety three (193) persons, mostly ethnic Tamil civilians living in the northern peninsula, to Jaffna when the incident took place.

 

Pregnant Anantha Kumar Jasotha, a resident of Ananthai, Point Pedro,  was among the passengers on board Green Ocean, hoping that nothing would harm her and her baby she was about to give birth until she set foot on the shores of Jaffna. Yet, the unexpected happened and fortunately, she was not alone in her distress since help was on hand to make her and her baby safe in all respects notwithstanding the security threat looming in the region.

 

Ms Jasotha gave birth to a female baby who was in good condition on delivery. She was assisted by the Captain of the ship, Mr WWWS Perera, an ex naval personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy with the assistance of a medical student who happened to be on board the ship. The expert medical instructions were provided by the SLN doctors who were in constant radio contact with the passenger ship as soon as they were alerted of the incident. Upon their arrival at the KKS Harbour, the mother and the baby were examined by the Sri Lanka Navy medical doctors who found both were in good condition. The pair was rushed to the Thelippalai Government Hospital in a naval ambulance.

 

The delicate situation which ensued was handled by all concerned to the best of their ability with a high sense of commitment to the services they were rendering. All were happy that they assisted in a worthy cause against all odds.

 

Nothing of this nature would have happened if the security threat posed by the LTTE was not there and the road network which links the provinces is not blocked by the LTTE due to the reasons best known to them. This is another case in point where ordinary civilians suffer due to the atrocities committed by the LTTE with scant disregard to human lives both young and old.  People who oppose the tyrannical rule of the LTTE are forced to flee from place to place for safety due to the violence unleashed by the terrorist outfit.