HELP!

A few leading citizens in Batticaloa town in the East Sri Lanka have conveyed via telephone the following report: 

They have said that there is a serious "whisper" going around in Batticaloa that the Sri Lankan Army Officials based there have conveyed to the medical staff at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital that in a few days the conflict situation is deemd to take a worse turn and there is no guarantee that the  Hospital will be protected.  It means, some one added, the message was that the hospital will not be safe from aerial bombardment in the event of "suspected Tamil Tigers infiltration in to the building! Any thing is possible here..."  

It is believed that the senior medical staff have been advised by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces that it is in the best interest of the patients to vacate the hospital as quickly as possible.  The serious question is where do we take the patients?

People there are shocked, confused and frightened at such a turn of events.  The citizens are deeply concerned of the plight of the patients, including the ones in the intensive care unit.

A hospital member of staff confirmed, wishing to remain anonymous, that the Army personel conveyed this message in person to the hospital in no uncertain terms on the morning of March 15. 

In this undeclared war in Sri Lanka there are no "no go zones". Even hospitals are at risk of becoming killing fields.

The People of Batticaloa are utterly helpless. They are appealing to the international community to verify the story and to protect the patients, the staff and the civilian population from appaling crimes against humanity.

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Note:

[People's names cannot be mentioned as it will compromise their safety.]______________________________________________________