The human suffering is intensifying in the Jaffna peninsula. It was with the closure of the A9 highway by the Sri Lankan government that the human tragedy initially started in the Jaffna peninsula.

Thereafter there was scarcity for food provisions and other essential commodities leading to a price hike. The people could not afford to purchase that with their bear minimum income or with no income at all.

Then there is scarcity for the medicines in the peninsula and the people are unable to by them even by paying exorbitant prices. The hospitals are labouring hard to continue their medical treatment in the midst of non availability of medicines.

It is in the midst of such a human tragedy that there are reports that the people of the peninsula are seriously affected by Chikungunya. The elderly people who already suffer from diabetes or blood pressure are affected by this disease. There are reports that certain students sitting GCE O/L exams are also affected by the chikungunya.

Mobile medical clinics should be set up in the peninsula immediately to save the people from Chikungunya. Although the government proclaims to the world that it si taking measures to leave the people from the suffering, it doesn’t appear that there is any improvement in the peninsula.

Therefore, the government must act and act expeditiously.

An English translation of the editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo

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