For emergencies Thelipan Medical Service
Thelipan Medical Service
Since 1998, there was an ongoing war in Tamil Eelam. The people that lived here did not have transport facilities like ambulances for emergencies or a functional telephone service to call for them.
There were no hospitals available in these villages, and there was a persistent shortage of doctors at these hospitals. Most people from these villages would travel to hospitals in Bullock carts or with the help of Tamil fighters in nearby camps.
During this period, the family of the Tamil Leader Prabhakaran lived in Ramanathapuram, Kilinochi. This included his wife and three children. At the time, his third son Balachandran was then only two years old. Prabhakaran visited his son at least once a month here.
On one occasion while Prabhakaran and his wife was staying at her home in Ramanathapuram with their children, Balachandran was bitten by a large type of scorpion (Puran) called a Thirunelakandan at night. The type of Puran that bit his son is dangerous and Balachandran needed emergent care. Prabhakaran’s wife and security guards immediately took her to the military doctor Aunty (Padmalosini).
Thuvaraga and Charles Antony, two children of Prabhakaran, were also home at the time of this incident. No one could sleep that night, including Prabhakaran himself. Security guards and everyone in the house were tense as they waited for the two-year-old that was bitten to receive treatment and care. Thuvaraga however had been making tea and laughing with security guards without any hesitation during this tense period Prabhakaran noticing this called to Thuvaraga and asked her whether she was worried about the condition of the scorpion bite.
Thuvaraga responded, “Father, because my brother was bitten, he was able to be transported readily to a hospital. Many of the other villages here, including those that a pregnant or children bitten by snakes, are not able to receive such emergent transport. Is there no nearby hospital?” Prabhakaran then asked Thuvaraga what could be done about this situation. She then responded that our military medical personnel should be distributed to these villages, as necessary.
Prabhakaran likened this idea and went to bed stating that he will set up something tomorrow when he wakes up. From this idea, hospitals like the Thileepan Memorial Hospitals, were set up in the villages in Eelam territories where there was no health care. In addition, an ambulance service was provided, and militants were appointed as assistant doctors. They had served that village till they were closed.
Another important point was that during the ceasefire period, the Sri Lankan military visited these hospitals like Thileepan Memorial Hospital when these areas were occupied by the Sri Lankan Army. They had met military medical personnel for their own medical needs as well. The army knew the Tigers would not betray them by changing drugs or providing inappropriate care even if they were enemies…
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