In November, the Tamil Diaspora Alliance (TDA) funded the reopening of a fertility clinic in Mullaitivu’s District General Hospital.
The clinic had to shut its doors after being unable to afford the medical equipment required to continue providing fertility treatments to Mullaitivu residents.
The Tamil Diaspora Alliance donated funds and all the necessary medical equipment, including washing medium, catheters, flushing media, centrifuge tubes, transfer pipettes, etc., to facilitate the reopening of this vital resource to the public.
The group saw a record number of 150 local young volunteers in attendance for the clinic’s reopening.
The donations will allow roughly 15 couples to be offered free IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) treatments per month. “IUI is the most affordable and efficient mode of treatment for our population, compared to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) which is very costly and not widely available,” the TDA told Tamil Guardian.
“In the past, a lack of IUI facilities in Mullaitivu forced patients to be referred to Jaffna hospitals for treatment. However, due to financial constraints and difficulty travelling, many couples could not move forward with this treatment option,” The TDA continued.
“War chemicals have a detrimental effect on fertility, and our Tamil people have suffered from this long-lasting effect, years after the end of the conflict. Increased rates of sub-fertility in war-affected communities in the North and East, in addition to financial issues and difficulty travelling for treatment, have left many couples feeling helpless. Helping this fertility clinic open its doors in Mullaitivu has sentimental value for us because of the invaluable gift of bringing a new life into this world,” the Tamil Diaspora Alliance Executive Committee told Tamil Guardian.
The group is also currently building a Mannar fertility clinic, scheduled to open in January.
The Tamil Diaspora Alliance, a network started in 2021, aims to “bring together the Tamil Diaspora, beyond organizational and/or geographical divides to create one strong united force.” The group is spearheaded by young leaders in 13 countries, including the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, India, Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sweden.
Read more about the Tamil Diaspora Alliance’s initiatives here.
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