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The 2008 IMHO semi-annual was held in Baltimore, Maryland. This meeting began with some opening words of wisdom by Dr. Karunyan Arulanantham. As always, he was a guiding force for all assembled. He remarked on the difficult situation that is continuing in the North and East of Sri Lanka, and suggested that we leave the politics aside to carefully evaluate the “crisis” versus “opportunity” that faces us. Dr. Karunyan requested that we should all get involved, small or big, and address now the urgent medical problems that are affecting the Tamil people. He also said we need to feel there is HOPE and keep marching along.

Dr. Karunyan next introduced Dr. Rajendra Surenthirakumaran, the Chief Guest for this meeting, who had travelled from Jaffna to address those gathered. Dr. Surenthirakumaran is a graduate of the University of Jaffna medical school, has an M.Sc. in Community Medicine, and is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jaffna. He is also the Director of the Moolai Cooperative Hospital in Jaffna. Dr. Surenthirakumaran’s first presentation was on “Current Health Care Needs in Jaffna.” After giving a nice overview of the existing problems, he began to describe the importance that the Diaspora plays in helping solve some of them. The obvious benefit of money/funds was mentioned only briefly. He spent more time describing the type of help that is longer-lasting, and he made it a point to emphasize the need for empowerment through self-sustainable activities.

The other benefit of the Diaspora was the knowledge and skills that they could pass on to medical personnel of Jaffna. Currently, the North and East are virtually sealed off from not just other countries, but also from easy travel to the south of Sri Lanka. And due to the loss of Tamil academic specialists who fled Jaffna and the country, the new generation of doctors who choose to remain in Jaffna benefit immensely from the Diaspora that can impart Western methods and scientific advances. He showed some slides of improvements in different departments in the Hospital, brought on by the Diaspora’s involvement during the ceasefire.

Dr. Surenthirakumaran did caution about some difficulties that arise when people from outside the country try to donate to the North and East, as they have to go through the Sri Lankan government, but said that through proper planning these difficulties can be overcome. Some of the new departments that were created with Diaspora help included Cardiology, Oncology, and Diabetic Medicine. An important aspect of the creation of these new departments was that good and efficient care was available close to home and also it helped with the retention of new medical graduates to serve in the region. We saw a video of a Cardiologist and a Head Nurse talking of some of the changes that they were undertaking, and also the reorganization of the Wards to create a cardiac care unit (CCU) that helped free up valuable beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) for other more appropriate sick patients.

He also described the benefit that doctors in the North and East get by traveling out of the country. Dr. Surenthirakumaran described his own experience and how that led him to pursue public health while undergoing his medical education. His mentor, Dr. Somasundaram, identified his abilities as that being ideal for a career in public health and helped him obtain training in Sweden. On his return he joined the Jaffna Faculty of Medicine, with valuable expertise in public health, which he was able to put to use for the benefit of the Jaffna patients. He was of the opinion that without the proper mentorship and foreign training, he would have gone on to be another clinician and not realized that Public Health was something he was good at and happy to be doing. This was a significant boon to the Jaffna medical system.

The second presentation of Dr. Surenthirakumaran was about the unique Cooperative Hospital facility in Moolai, Jaffna. This is a charitable organization, serving a population of about 200,000. He prefaced the talk by first bringing up the issue of health insurance and the need to develop a health care system that was in keeping with the ability of the people to afford the care, as well as one that meets their needs. He again emphasized the need to develop a system that was self-sustainable. He listed and thanked the joint effort of several international and local donors, who contributed funds for both the renovation of the ‘war-damaged’ old buildings and purchase of new equipment. Dr. Surenthirakumaran made special mention of the fact that more than one half of the funds required for new equipment were provided by the Sri Lankan government. The Hospital, in the three years of operation, is about 80% self-sufficient, with about one-third of the patients receiving free care.

Another highlight of the meeting was the “IMHO Projects Update 2008” presentation by Dr. Thambipillai. It was worth noting that in 2008 alone, IMHO has collected over $500,000 through various generous donations for distribution towards worthy projects around the world. Two professionally-made documentary videos from Jaffna were also screened describing the progress of IMHO projects in improving the nutritional status of underweight pregnant mothers in and the need for supporting a cardiac care facility in Jaffna. Funds are being collected by IMHO for the establishment of a full-fledged Cardiac Care Lab, complete with cardiac catheterization equipment, in the Jaffna Teaching Hospital at a cost of about $800,000 (US dollars). With the contribution of a very generous matching donor, the collected funds now stand at about $400,000.

There is little doubt that we can achieve more for the suffering people by giving more. Even a few dollars will go a long way. The meeting was very informative and uplifting, but at the same time disturbing. It was very difficult to hear over and over again the untold suffering of Tamil people in my motherland. It was certainly an emotional and moving meeting for some of us, if not all of us.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE, GIVE GENEROUSLY, AND BE COUNTED.