The Health Ministry in collaboration with the UNICEF visited welfare camps in Vavuniya which housed 239,575 internally displaced persons last Thursday to administer the first course of micro nutrients to around 500 pregnant mothers living in zone one and vitamin and mineral sachets for over 1000 children in zone three. There were over 2,900 pregnant women and 40,000 children living at the camps and the program had been initiated in all six zones of the welfare camp on the same day, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

The previous day’s rain had muddied the area and made it dangerous to the Health Ministry and UNICEF vehicles that went into the camp sites during the morning hours. The drains separating the road from the camps were partially filled with water. The main content of the flat land which the welfare camps were built had more sand in it. This prevents the storm water from being absorbed.  None of the internally displaced remained in their huts. Even the woman who was busily cutting vegetables for the day’s meal had hung a mosquito net outside to keep away the flies. While a majority were queuing up with cans and bottles to get water from the bowsers others walked aimlessly.

 The Health Ministry spokesman said that men from the camp were employed by the government to clear the land and do a few menial jobs for a wage of four hundred rupees per day. The prices of goods were relatively high. Five hundred grams of beans was sold at 100 rupees whereas in vegetable stalls on the road to Anuradhapura the same quantity of the vegetable was sold at 60 or 70 rupees. However, there were several types of vegetables and grain, a sarong or two, toys for children on the plastic sheets that had been spread out to display the goods.   

 There were stories of what life had been once upon a time. Several of the men were those who had been well- to- do then but had lost their wealth and their means of living when they had abandoned their homestead during the early part of the final conflict. Manikkam, a man in his early fifties was one of the early settlers in the camp. However, he claimed that his living condition was more tolerable when compared with several others living in zones that had been established during the later stages by the government.  The money had gone into daily survival. "There is nothing that we can do. We are not allowed to leave the camp and fend for ourselves," he said.

 There were those who had a reason to smile as well. One could see that in the expectant faces of the young women who were have had either their first or third baby as they sat and waited for the micronutrient program to get under way. "They were not smiling when they arrived at the camp first," a volunteer who did not wish to be named said. But, now they have come out of their initial shock and are more adapted to the conditions. They also have hopes of being resettled," he said. 

 There are approximately 35,000 welfare workers in addition to the IDP community from UN, UNICEF, UNAIDS, WHO, Care International Saving Lives, and many other organizations bent on making the lives of these people more tolerable. Entering various zones one could see the sanitary facilities given by UNICEF and other INGO’s and NGO’s and the Government.

But what strikes one the most in this situation is the team of doctors who work tirelessly to maintain the health of the IDPs. Starting with the Health Coordination Centre in Cettikulam to the public health centre in zone five these doctors work and serve the community. Chief Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Noel Wijesekara is not only the person who coordinates the health services, and the medical equipment but he is also the one who knows the statistics of the number of IDPs in each zone and even where the construction ladders are kept for the telecom and other construction workers who walk in and out of his makeshift office making demands for this or that.

 There are approximately 60 and 30 nurses serving in the five zones. The Indian field hospital in Zone one is manned by a team of Indian doctors while the remaining 16 public health centres and three referral health centres function under teams of Sri Lankan doctors and nurses. Explaining the system, he said that the night on call services of zone one to four are carried out on the zonal cites while the on call services of zone zero and five are carried out at the Coordinating Centre.

Dr. Wijesekara said patients from these two zones are brought by ambulance to the coordinating centre for treatment in the night.