_{Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Image Credit: Army.lk}

The Sri Lankan army handed over medical equipment to assist COVID-19 treatment at Mullaitivu District Hospital, District General Hospital Kilinochchi and the Jaffna Teaching Hospital throughout September.

Troops in the North-East continue to facilitate vaccination clinics and army hospitals for COVID-19 patients under the leadership of Sri Lankan army commander and accused war criminal Shavendra Silva’s coronavirus initiatives. 

_{Kilinochchi Hospital, Image Credit: Army.lk}

Silva, who has been subjected to a US travel ban for accusations of war crimes, faced criticism for poor management of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent resignation of Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama from the Covid Prevention Technical Committee, as he claimed that the vaccination program in Sri Lanka was not being implemented as per the recommendations of the experts.

 _{Mullaitivu Hospital, Image Credit: Army.lk}

The militarised response to the pandemic has also seen an escalation in incidents of harassment, intimidation and surveillance across the Tamil homeland and inadequate facilities used for the treatment of quarantined individuals. 

In August, COVID patients were left with ripped beds in the Vavuniya isolation centre and health workers protested for over 100 days to improve working conditions. Earlier this week, the Health Department expressed concerns over rising cases of COVID in Vavuniya after forty-five deaths were recorded in the district within the first week of September. 

Earlier this year, the Jaffna Teaching Hospital made urgent requests for medical equipment after the bed capacity in the isolation ward was repeatedly exhausted. 

Read more on Mullaitivu District Hospital, District General Hospital Kilinochchi and the Jaffna Teaching Hospital on army.lk. 

_{Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Image Credit: Army.lk}