Further update from Sri Lanka

Additional news from Hemantha Gamage, 4S7HG:

Dear Sirs,

I wish to foward an outline of our VHF project in Sri Lanka.

The system operates from the District General Hospital Gampaha, which is the largest hospital in the area. There are small peripheral hospitals transfer difficult patents to above hospital. The system operates with a base station installed at the District General Hospital Gampaha and the mobile units are fixed to the ambulances. There are 3 ambulances at above hospital and one ambulances each in the peripheral small hospitals, Biyagama, Dompe, Divulapitiya and Minuwangoda. Therefore 7 mobile units are fixed are given for those ambulances.

The provincial health authority appreciated the contribution of the MARCO in establishing this system. The Ministry and the provincial director will address MARCO in order to thank you all for the good work done.

I presented the radios officially to the secretary of the provincial health ministry on behalf of the MARCO. I will attach few photographs for the time being but the provincial health ministry will contact MARCO with better pictures and hopefully video of the opening day.

I am grateful to all friends at MARCO for extending all the support and courage for me to drive this project towards success.

This morning our hospital system experienced a disaster just one day after launching the system. This was a suicide terrorist attack killing one eminent cabinet minister of the government and around 14 civilians. The incidence took place close to Gampaha draining most of the patient s to District General Hospital Gampaha. Hospital authority informed me that our system played a big role in coordinating ambulances very quickly.

Please give me some time to send the pictures and whole story in sometime as I was very busy with installing the system and other arrangements with the opening ceremony.

Thank you all once again.

Hemantha (4S7HG)