Instead, they had to take a circuitious route to Uyilankulam in Mannar which was some 35 miles away, and from there take the trip to Vavuniya. Civilians had to travel all the way to Vavuniya even to buy clothes. Serious patients who had to seek treatment at the Vavuniya hospital, had to take a circuitious trip, by first travelling to Madhu which is 18 miles away, and from there to Vavuniya. She also said that they now had adequate stocks of medicine to treat OPD patients. Dr S. Sivapalan attached to the Vavuniya Hospital told me that he has been operating a mobile health clinic since March 8.
Items required for agriculture are also now available.
Poovarasankulam is a village straddled along the Vavuniya-Mannar road. This village was under army control even before Operation Rana Gosa was launched. And it served as one of the main launching pads for the said operation. Poovarasankulam till then was the last military outpost in that locality. This armoured thrust was followed by men of the 215 Brigade led by Brigadier Saliya Kulatunga closely following behind the advancing tanks.