Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
Basic Rights Must Cross All Boundaries
Denise Walsh MSN, RN
For
the
past
6
years
I
have
been
organizing
trips
to
developing
countries
setting
into
place
a
systematic
process
for
offering
clinical
care
to
underserved
populations
on
a
very
local
level.
The
tsunami
relief
projects
in
Sri
Lanka
are
a
massive
undertaking
affecting
millions
of
people-
not
only
survivors
of
the
disaster,
but
also
local
economies
and
international
relief
agencies.
Without
a
strong
infrastructure
I
fear
that
relief
efforts
will
fall
short
of
the
expectations
of
the
international
donors.
All the international Non-Government Organization volunteers with whom I came in contact with showed a great willingness to work together on a grassroots basis to assure that a standard of care is uniform across the region. Medical personnel from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the US worked in unison to develop a surveillance system for the refugee camps to treat and track malaria, cholera, diarreaha, and TB. A schedule of visitation of all camps every 3 days has been effective in staving off epidemics.
Without
support
from
the
SriLankan
govenment
in
terms
of
medical
supplies,
sanitation
systems
and
clean
water,
the
likelihood
of
these
diseases
spreading
is
eminent.
In
addition,
emotional
and
psychological
care
is
desperately
needed
for
the
population
to
effectively
deal
with
their
losses.
Many
patients
reported
having
"eyes
that
no
longer
see",
a
symptom
of
the
depression
that
they
are
facing.
It will take a concerted effort by the SriLankan government to take a strong leadership role in overseeing this relief project. The NGOs are the perfect vehicle for delivering direct care to the population, but an overall infrastructure for longterm relief planning is needed. It is this infrastructure that must cross political boundaries if the Sri Lankan people are to rise above the "attack of the sea".
The supplies, the funds, the support from the international community are there- it needs to be distibuted to all areas regardless of religious and ethnic backgrounds.
The dichotomy of lifestyles in the south, as compared to the Ampara district and into the Muslim areas was very evident. The basic right to water, food, and sanitation must cross all boundaries, and refugee camps housing 1000s of people without these basics must be the focus of the relief efforts.
Every
family
that
I
came
in
contact
with
was
gracious,
open
and
appreciative
of
the
efforts
of
the
group.
I
am
honored
to
have
been
able
to
assist
in
my
own
small
way,
and
I
hope
that
with
an
open
understanding
the
relief
efforts
will
be
successful
and
the
SriLankan
people
will
rise
above
the
destruction
form
the
"wall
of
black
water".
###
Posted February 18, 2005