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| Tuesday, 30 March 2004 |
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Trincomalee correspondent Charge d Affaires Japanese Embassy Hiroshi Karube participating at the handing over of six ambulances and three transport vehicles to medical institutions in the North East Province and adjoining districts said the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government troops and Tamil Tigers has made a huge damage on every aspect of human life and development including health infrastructure and service for women and children. In the war devasted areas availability accessibility and quality of health care has been severely affected. The needs assessment documents which were prepared by international organizations such as WHO and UNICEF reveal that destruction of hospitals, lack of doctors and medical staff non availability of medical equipment, serious shortage of essential drugs has caused the deterioration of health of the people. Japan has been intensively supporting various activities to facilitate peace process of this country and also to eliminate causes of conflict. Japan has been taking the keyrole to support this country by utilizing financial assistance for rehabilitating the war affected area as well as for supporting the development of the whole country. Availability and accessibility of good health services has to be maintained as it is essential humanitarian basic need of all the people in this country. Therefore in the past and up to now the government of Japan has been supporting the efforts of the Health Ministry of Sri Lankan government to take necessary measures for improving the health services. He said the Japanese government strongly hopes that their assistance will facilitate Sri Lankan government to help the people of this country by themselves. In this context as it is well known Japanese government funded to support the formulation of a health master plan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and World Bank which addresses policies and strategies based on a long term vision how to improve the delivery system of health services for all people in Sri Lanka. In conclusion Hiroshi Karube said "In this ceremony he would like to express our expectation that the ambulances and transport vehicles handed over to the general hospitals of Jaffna, Vauniya and Anuradhapura and the base hospitals of Moneragala, Mannar and Dehiattakandiya will help to expand the capacity of accessibilities of health care and remove the people living in remote areas where emergency transport services are severely needed." UNICEF representative Ted Chaiban said the government of Japan has been generous enough to provide financial assistance totalling Rs. 250 m to UNICEF to support the speedy restoration of maternal and child health services in the North East and adjacent districts. Provisions of ambulances and transport vehicles is part of this projects. The two decades of conflict have weakened the health system that had once made impressive achievements for women and children. Women's access to life saving measures like emergency obstetric care in the north east has been constrained by inadequate ambulance services lack of blood banks, inadequate drugs in maternity wards, inadequate laboratory facilities and lack of intensive care units in some hospitals. Chaiban said the peace process between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers has opened new opportunities and responsibilities to rehabilitate and restore social services and reinvigorate development work in the north east. The contribution from the people and the government of Japan will go a long way to strengthen maternal and child health infrastructures and revitalize the essential services for women and children. The project has been implemented in the entire North East which have suffered significant devastation from the conflict and four adjacent districts which house the greatest number of internally displaced people, he said. Charge d Affaires of the Japanese embassy Hiroshi Karube on behalf of the Japanese government handed over the vehicles to the Chief Secretary, North East Provincial Council S. Rangarajah and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Welfare Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka who in turn handed over the vehicles to the officials from the respective medical institutions. Chief Secretary NEPC S. Rangarajah welcomed the guests and Provincial Director of Health Service Dr. S. Kumaravelupillai proposed a vote of thanks. |
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