Over 400 young men and women have been detained in special camps for several weeks. According to the Red Cross officer Sivanathan Kishore three children have died of disease. There are only few toilets and water supply is inadequate. Pregnant women have been denied access to the hospital and one woman has died in labour. The Vavuniya hospital which has only six wards with 180 beds is currently treating over 1,500 patients a day.
Many patients have to sleep on the floor.
Sixty percent of the hospital staff were afflicted by a viral disease in early November.