Galle Maternity Hospital :

Work at a standstill at Karapitiya

Tissa DE SILVA

The dream of a new Maternity Hospital among the mothers of Southern Province, which was born immediately after the Tsunami of 2004, today stands still only as a dream for future mothers and the children to be born. After five long years when, Helmut Kohl the former Chancellor of Germany who was also a victim of the Tsunami, promised this hospital to the people of the Southern province, one could only see a concrete slab on ground in the premises of Irrigation Department Southern province. An empty precast concrete factory building stands at Hikkaduwa where the walls of this supposed to be built Hospital by the Germans were to be manufactured.

The Daily News of December 1, 2005 thus reported in banner headlines 'Helmut Kohl Foundation in Germany donates Rs. 3,600 million for rebuilding Mahamodera Hospital'.

'The German Government has agreed to construct a fully equipped Maternity and Children's Hospital in place of the Galle Mahamodara Hospital which was destroyed by the tsunami. The Chancellor Helmut Kohl Foundation of Germany has decided to provide Rs. 3,600 million for the construction of the said Hospital.

The Hospital will comprise 85 beds and the German Government expects to develop it as a special Maternity and Children Hospital, stated Jürgen Weerth, the Ambassador for Germany in Sri Lanka at a special meeting held at the Health Ministry on Tuesday.

'Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva stated the construction of the new hospital would help uplift the quality of Maternity and Children's Healthcare of the people in the Southern Province.'

For five long years since the forced evacuation of mothers from Mahamodara on the morning of December 26, 2004 they are housed in overcrowded Wards at Karapitiya, at much inconvenience to the magnificent staff of nurses and doctors of Sri Lanka who serve them which such dedication. The 'Uplift of the quality of Maternity and Children's Healthcare' promised by the Germans to the Minister Nimal Siripala is to still come.

My interest in this issue is that I am from Galle and has used the Mahamodara Maternity Hospital with my mother and the rest of the family as early as 1940's. Soon after the Tsunami on December 27, 2004 morning with a group of engineers I undertook to clean the Mahamodara Hospital at the invitation of the Hospital Director. Our work was assisted by Minister Dinesh Gunawardena by providing the men and equipment from SLLRDC.

There were no Germans or any foreigners at that time. The first few days after the Tsunami the rescue and emergency operation was led by the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the President at that time was enjoying the Christmas vacation in Europe.

We as professionals on Emergency engineering had a free hand under the now President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The work carried on smoothly, with the Hospitals functioning after a few days, at Mahamodara and Karapitiya took over the major role, with the shift of operation theatre etc. Together with another eminent structural engineer Dr. A.N.S. Kulasinghe I carried out a report on Mahamodara and found that it could be refurbished with minimum time and cost to pre-Tsunami condition. These reports were given to the Health Ministry as well as to the GA Galle. But unfortunately the German promise came in with a huge grant to build the best Maternity Hospital in Sri Lanka to German standards. Thus fell the policy makers to a big German lie, that such a hospital will be built. Thus the work on Mahamodara too stopped. Today we still live on the dream of a German promise, without re-furbishing Mahamodara.

With the great victory on May 19, 2009 led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, towards our total independence after nearly 500 years of Western colonialism, it is time we change our policies towards our so-called Donors. We should get assistance on our conditions, beneficial to our people. It is time for us to ask the Germans, are you completing this Maternity Hospital as promised or not.

I as a citizen of Galle I met the acting German Ambassador, Deputy Head of mission Dr. Stefan Weckbach on August 21, 2009 to discuss the above Hospital issue. I confirmed my discussion with the Deputy Head in a letter sent to him and received by him. The contents of which were:

"My interest on the above subject is that I have had close association with Galle which is my Hometown from my early childhood. I am also a Civil/Structural engineer who immediately after the 2004 Tsunami worked as a volunteer to reopen the Hospital in Mahamodara, using a team of volunteers to clean and carry out the immediate repairs."

"I noticed that work on Karapitiya Maternity hospital had not been completed after nearly five years post Tsunami. Hence I raised these issues with the public and officials in Galle which led me to discuss the following with you:

1. The work on the rehabilitation of Mahamodara Hospital had been stopped soon after the initial clean up done by us, on the grounds that a modern Maternity Hospital would be built by a German Foundation as a gift to replace Mahamodara Hospital at Karapitiya.

2. Work on the Maternity wing at Karapitiya had began and then stopped soon after the Foundations were done, on the grounds of Funds not been available."

"This has severely inconvenienced the mothers to be as well as the newborn babies who are now crowded at makeshift wards at Karapitiya".

In my discussions with you I was made aware that the work had stopped as it is claimed that the cost of the foundations had exceeded the original estimate. I raised the following issues during this discussion through my knowledge of engineering as a practicing Structural Civil Engineer. These were;

1. That the designer consultant and the building contractor in this instance is the same organization. That it is common practice in Sri Lanka, Australia and many other countries, that due to conflict of interest that these two arms of building is separated. It is also a known fact that Design and construct contracts are given, but in these cases there is an independent consultant to advice the client and carry out the Auditing as well as Quality Assurance in accordance with international standards including the European standards. This ensures that the project is carried out according to contract and any variations are agreed and certified by a competent independent person or firm.

2. Normally any competent Structural/Civil consultant would carry out a Geological investigation as well as an environmental condition report of the site before carrying out a detail design. This would provide a realistic estimate of cost of the structure as well as provide advice to the Architect as to what form of building is most suitable for the site to cater for a client need. In Australia and many other countries a Geological investigation is Mandatory by Governments, Councils and large clients especially for public buildings and even housing due to failures in the past which often affects the end user. Recent failures in Singapore of multi-storey buildings due to poor designs have made it Mandatory to have independent checking of designs."

Since this letter was written over two months ago I tried many a time to get a reply or a call to the Ambassador. But all failed. Hence it is time that we come out in public and discuss the issue as a firmly democratic society. The deputy head was trying hard to hide behind the garb that the promise of funds was from a private donor foundation and that the cost to date up to foundation only, had exceeded the original cost of the completed building with equipment etc. It is to be noted that the cost of equipment in a hospital with the services is much more than that of the concrete shell.

One has only to read the past news clippings, to see why the change of mind of the German Government to grind this project to a halt.

Report of Sunday Observer on January 1, 2006. on the Foundation laying ceremony held on December 27, 2005. Thus:

"Modernised maternity hospital in Galle soon (by Elmo Leonard in Galle)"

The German Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Juergen Weerth said "Referring to what had been achieved since the tsunami, and also, the peace process which binds a halt in hostilities between the Tamil militants and the Government Forces, envoy Weerth said that it was no point in having run three laps well.

The fourth lap must also be run, with great sacrifice on the part of Sri Lankans to make the island a safer place for all to live in, and for tourism to thrive," he said.

In hindsight after four years of a promise as well as three years of it been the period where the bold decision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2006 to abandoned the so called European peace talks in the face of atrocities committed by the LTTE on innocent civilians, we have to analyse the words of the German Ambassador uttered at this foundation stone ceremony.

It is obvious to all readers that the 'fourth lap' of the peace process as the Germans wanted was going in the direction of dividing the nation. President Mahinda Rajapaksa stopped this cunning European game to which both Ranil and Chandrika fell victims, at the right moment in 2006.

The Daily News of December 29, 2005 reported the same foundation ceremony and said.

"The Government of Germany is expecting to join the international community to intervene to establish peace in Sri Lanka, emphasized the German Ambassador."

From these words one could logically draw out why the Hospital funds dried within a short time and the connection to the peace process which the Germans and their 'International Community' wanted.

We all knew that the LTTE was encouraged by the funds they received from various Western sources to continue on this suicidal mission, of separating the country. The 'Game' of the former Western colonists in Asia and Africa is divide and rule. By dividing Sri Lanka the Germans and their European friends will benefit economically as well as a playground for their tourists, at under-priced costs at the expense of Sri Lankans. Our raw materials will go cheap and we will continue to sell our labour cheap for their consumers.

The mothers of Southern province are asking the question:

1. Was the funds of the hospital laundered to fund the division of the country?

2. Should we not take over and complete this hospital to our satisfaction with our own labour and funds, just as we as a united country will fight the GSP tariff concession, loss if it is withdrawn by the Germans and their former friends on political grounds, with the intention of changing governments of independent countries such as Sri Lanka.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the annual sessions of the Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka on October 1, 2009 said "We will find the funds necessary for the loss of GSP, if it is withdrawn."