[Tue, 13 Jul 2010, 13:10 GMT]

Hundreds of family consultant nurses, public health officers, midwives and other health service employees picketed Jaffna Public Health Service (PHS) office from Tuesday early morning and agitated demanding immediate investigation into the killing of Tharsika, a family consultant nurse, found hung inside Veala’nai government hospital Saturday morning. The agitators further demanded the immediate arrest of the Sinhala doctor alleged of killing Tharsika. Police was forced to arrest the Sinhala doctor who was transferred on the instruction of the Sri Lanka Army officials. The doctor, who was kept in the safety in Regional Health Service Director’s office in Jaffna, was produced in Oorkaavattu’rai courts Tuesday. Full story >>

Family Consultant Nurses demand investigation into killing of fellow nurse in Veala’nai

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 July 2010, 15:04 GMT]
More than a hundred Family Consultant Nurses employed in Jaffna peninsula participating in the funeral procession of fellow nurse alleged killed by a Sinhalese doctor in Veal’ani government hospital in the islets of Jaffna Saturday staged a protest demonstration at Kaithadi junction Monday for an hour demanding immediate inquiry into the killing of Saravanai Tharsika who was found hung with a rope inside the hospital, sources Jaffna said. The Judicial Medical Officer’s report rules out suicide in the above case and the Family Consultant Nurses have decided to abstain from duties from 7:00 a.m Tuesday until their demand is met, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the Sinhalese doctor alleged of killing Tharsika transferred to Changkaanai hospital to save him from being attacked by enraged Veala’nai people was again transferred to Manthikai government hospital in Point Pedro.

But he had to be taken to a secret place in Jafna town as the Family Consultant Nurses in Manthikai hospital had demonstrated against his posting.

Top government persons actively trying to protect the Sinhalese doctor are trying to get him transferred to Colombo, sources in Jaffna said.

The nurses had first paid their respects to the remains of Tharsika Monday at her residence in Kaithadi and later demonstrated at Kaithadi junction for an hour shouting slogans.

‘Arrest the suspect! Conduct immediate inquiry into the killing of Tharsika! Pay compensation to Tharsika’s family! Ensure security of Family Consultant Nurses!’ were some of the demands raised in the demonstration.

The nurses who had worked wearing black bands until noon Monday took off duty to pay their last respects to Tharsika’s remains in Kaithadi.

The nurses said that they will abstain from duties from 7:00 a.m Tuesday until their demands are met.