A Southern Doctor’s Journey into the Vanni

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge 

In 2002, I had the unique experience of treating several members of the LTTE in the Mulangavil region of Kilinochchi, facilitated by a clinic organized by a collective of doctors from the southern part of Sri Lanka. Accompanying this group, I visited the North, where I encountered a diverse array of patients, including both civilians and LTTE personnel in need of medical care. 

While attending to patients, our interpreter approached me to inform me that several members of the LTTE were seeking medical treatment and asked if I would be able to provide care for them. Guided by the principles of the Hippocratic oath that I had taken in 1993, I felt a profound obligation to extend my medical assistance to all, irrespective of their affiliations. Therefore, I agreed to see these patients. 

A twenty-eight-year-old member of the LTTE approached me with a gunshot wound to his leg, which he had sustained during an attack on the Elephant Pass camp. After a comprehensive examination, I diagnosed him with osteomyelitis and prescribed expensive German antibiotics. I then referred him to Jaffna Hospital for further treatment.

Another patient presented with an allergic reaction after consuming prawns, for whom I provided the necessary medication. After receiving care, the LTTE members expressed their heartfelt gratitude before leaving, and we engaged in a conversation about the ongoing conflict and the temporary ceasefire that had been established between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. It became evident to me that they were weary of the protracted war and hopeful for a lasting peace. 

Years later, in 2005, while on night duty at the Military Hospital Colombo, I treated a former LTTE cadre who had transitioned to the Sri Lankan Army. He presented with a chronic wound resulting from a gunshot injury and recounted his experiences during his time with the LTTE, detailing his eventual defection and enlistment in the army. Listening to his narrative illuminated the intricate and multifaceted nature of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, revealing its profound impact on the lives of those in Northern Sri Lanka.