This is the photo of a tent within the Chettikulam IDP camps, taken on 21st Feb 2010 as we passed it. We were fitting artificial limbs over a 7 month period. These were not paid jobs as for many NGOs. We spent our own money gladly. In fact in fitting 554 limbs over a 7 months period the Colombo Friend In Need Society officials like me claimed a total of Rs.24,000/ only and that was for a couple of trips fuel costs! You be the judge of why we did that, as many others did for even a longer period. Compare that to some NGO work expenses. Interestingly, you can easily see the thin barbed wire fences loosely constructed, easily breached, as indeed it was by inmates of adjoining camps, since the number of shops within were few. Please enlarge. This is the time that the famous international media were shouting out 'razor edged' barricades! This is why I went livid at those falsehoods. Falsehoods among many.
jksw
Sending this to many of you. Attached you will see photos of two LTTE doctors with us. This photo was
taken at 2.40pm on 30th November 2009 at the Pompamadu camp for female LTTE detainees. Photo by Mr Karunasena, workshop manager. About 6 months after the hostilities ended. It is time to highlight the vast multiplicity of 2009 efforts on behalf of the IDPs in the Chettikulam camp. Limb fitting was just a fraction of that whole. Colombo Friend In Need Society was requested by both the Ministry of Health and the Army to help the amputees there. There were 1300 inmates lolling around within this large University premises.
Our technicians were busy in the open area beating out Jaipur Limbs. Though all the females were walking about freely within, we were discouraged from taking photos. The photo is within the building with just one guard at the entrance to the hall. He peeped in soon after we snapped the photo but I guess he decided to ignore everything. At this the two girls were worried for our sake, but assured them that we were quite in control.This gave them confidence in us. As a doctor I was requested to examine non amputee patients too..
This shows two of us with two former female LTTE doctors who gladly helped me examine about 30 patients with wounds and fractures which had all been treated but needed review. The selection of these patients was by the two 'LTTE doctors'. The captain at camp was a pretty young Sinhalese female who seemed much liked by the girls within. Most were youngish. Knowing English, they translated and also showed a good grasp of surgery. They said they had done tens of amputations by themselves and their
competence gave credence to the claim. They had been at it for over a decade. I did not probe too much or record too much. We were so busy. Within a few hours we were at ease chatting to each other. As for their future I said that as they were in their thirties they could try to be qualified pharmacists in the future. This seemed to please them much, possibly as they may have been very anxious about what would happen to
them in their then uncertain future. A few months later we received cards saying 'Thank you, you gave us hope'. And so it was, all of them being sent home in a few months more. That thank you card is enough reward for us. I will trace them to visit their home in Jaffna one day.
jksw
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