a

 

Emergency and Humanitarian Action

 

South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami

 

Tsunami Response: Progress

 

Situation Reports

 

Country Information

 

List of guidelines for health emergencies

 

What is WHO doing?

 

General Information

 

Reports from the Field

 

Tsunami Disaster - 2004

Emergency Management & Aftercare in

Medical Officer of Health Area - Matara

Sri Lanka

 PDF Version

 Contents

 

1.      Introduction

2.      Affected areas, buildings, staff and population

3.      Management during acute stage

4.      Management of Refugee camps

5.      Disease surveillance and prevention of out breaks

6.      Secondary stage

7.      Problems identified in camps

8.      On going activities.

9.      Suggestions for future plans.

 

1.     Introduction

 

Southern province of Sri Lanka consists of three districts, Galle district, Matara district and Hambantota district.Matara District is divided into fourteen Medical officer of health areas.Matara district is bordered by the sea on south. The southern most Medical officer of health areas (MOH areas) are Weligama, Matara, Devinuwara and Dickwella.All these areas were affected by Tsunami and this report is on the activities carried out in Matara MOH area during and after Tsunami.

 

Matara MOH area is subdivided into thirty smaller units which are Public Health Midwife areas (PHM areas). Matara MOH area has a population of 105,000 in 2004 and it’s area is about 50 square kilometers. Paddy cultivation and the fisheries industry are the major sources of income of these people. River Nilwala which starts from northern part of the district falls to sea at Matara after crossing the town in the middle.

 

26th December 2004 dawned to Sri Lanka as another normal day. People were more in a holiday mood, as it was full moon poya day, Sunday as well as Christmas season.

 

Tsunami tidal wave attacked the southern Sri Lanka few minutes after 9a.m. This was an unexpected, sudden disaster causing devastation of the costal region with total disturbance of regular human activities.

 

In Matara MOH area, out of thirty PHM areas seven PHM areas which were located in the costal belt were partially or totally affected.

 

Map of SriLanka depicting  districts Matara district is in the southern most area

 

 

 

Matara district depicting it’s 14 MOH areas, Matara is one of southern MOH areas

 

Medical Officer of Health area Matara

 

 

This map shows the medical officer of health area Matara depicting the smaller units called Grama Niladhari divisions. Two such units make one Public health midwife area.

The PHM areas along the costal region were affected by the Tsunami wave. Those areas were Madiha, Polhena, Thotamuna, Pamburana, Kada Weediya, Kotuwegoda, and Eliyakanda.The MOH office is indicated by a red dot. The former MOH office was located inside the hospital and was partly damaged.

 

 

 

| | | | | |