“On November 16 last year at Akkarayankulam, just before entering Kilinochchi town, we had 215 casualties coming in throughout the day,” recalled Major Sanjeeva Dodangoda, a medical officer who was serving at an Advanced Dressing Station (ADS). “There was heavy fighting that day and as the casualties were brought in, we got assistance from other ADS in the vicinity. Ambulance, staff and doctors came to our aid and we worked from about 7 a.m. till 10.30 p.m. without a break. The patients needing urgent attention were evacuated by air and road to hospitals for treatment,” he said, detailing the intense effort made to treat the wounded.
Eleven-year-old Shalini (name changed) is transported to another world the moment she feels she has entered the school library. She walks up to a table in a quiet corner and impatiently waits for someone to place a Braille book in front of her. She reads and reads; asks for more books and even refuses to leave the library saying “ane teacher mata thawa poth kiyawanna one (please teacher, I want to read more).”