Batticaloa leprosy hospital to close, SLA to move in [TamilNet, March 20, 2001 12:08 GMT]

Sri Lanka's first hospital for leprosy patients that was built on an island in the Batticaloa lagoon in 1926 is to be closed this month, health officials in the eastern town said Tuesday. Hospital officials said that the government is closing down the hospital so that the Sri Lanka army can take over the strategically located Maantheevu (Deer Island) and the buildings on it. They said that the SLA had recently inspected the structures on the island recently. The island overlooks the main entry point between the Batticaloa town and the districtís main hinterland, which is controlled by the Liberation Tigers. The British started the Maantheevu hospital with 250 patients 76 years ago. This island in the Batticaloa lagoon was selected for its salubrious condition and isolation. Access to Maantheevu is only by boat.
A patient in the hospital. Note: Tamilnet library photo. SLA does not allow cameras on the islandThe SLA's 23-3 brigade headquarters in Batticaloa town told the leprosy hospital officials Monday that all the patients in their care would be transferred to a medical facility in Ragama near Colombo on 28 March. The Health Ministry too informed the officials Monday that the inmates should be ready to leave the island and that a team of officials would be visiting the Maantheevu hospital on 23 March for finalising arrangements for the transfer. The Health Ministry sent circular in November 2000 that the Maantheevu hospital is to be closed down and that persons affected by leprosy should be treated as out patients in hospitals in the district. The Ministry officials had said that the transfer is necessary to ensure the security of fifteen Sinhala patients who are on treatment here. Tamil and Muslims inmates are objecting to the transfer. However, informed sources in Batticaloa said that the decision to close down was taken by the Ministry because the army wanted to take over the island for its strategic and secure location.