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Ceylon Christian Care |
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Health Care |
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The Health Center in Periyaneelavanai |
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Below some pictures of pediatrician Geriska Poortman from her visit in Feb 2006. During this visit she examined all the children of the homes. For more information read her report “Medical Care in Periyaneelavanai”. |
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Hearing test |
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Vision test |
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4. Arranging specialists visits from Europe and North America to this area in Sri Lanka We noticed that there are only a few pediatricians on Sri Lanka. In the Netherlands we came into contact with NFICH (Netherlands Foundation for International Child Health). Together we came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to start a Health Center in the village of Periyaneelavanai. NFICH brought us in contact with pediatrician Geriska Poortman who committed herself to work with Ceylon Christian Care for a long period. She will visit Sri Lanka annually two or three times for a couple of weeks. During these weeks she will exam and help children. She will work as much as possible together with the local hospitals. In case they are not able to help, possibilities outside Sri Lanka will be investigated. |
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2. Arranging (free) transport to hospitals for people with serious health problems People who like to see a doctor outside the visits hours, or need to go to a hospital for urgent matters, can make use of the threewheeler service. They have to pay a small fee to make use of this service.
3. Providing public phone services in villages, so people can call a doctor or hospital in case of urgent matters In case of urgent matters it is also important that people can call a doctor, hospital or others. For that purpose Ceylon Christian Care has provided public phone services. People have to pay a small fee to make use of this service. |
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Mobile Clinic: A man visiting the doctor |
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Public phone booth |
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Mobile Clinic: Rural area health service |
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Threewheeler for public services |
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Health Care
Basic health care is free of charge on Sri Lanka. For complicated surgery, like heart operations, people have to go to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. However, in case an operation is required the family has to pay the costs in cash in advance. Most people, when confronted with serious health problems, do not have the cash, which means that they will probably die.
Although basic health care is free, many people in rural areas do not make use of it, because they are not able to travel to hospital or to pay for the bus ticket.
Ceylon Christian Care tries to provide help to these people in the following ways: 1. Arranging doctor visits to villages 2. Arranging (free) transport to hospitals for people with serious health problems 3. Providing public phone services in villages, so people can call a doctor or hospital in case of urgent matters 4. Arranging specialists visits from Europe and North America to this area in Sri Lanka
1. Arranging doctor visits to villages Most people in the villages and rural areas do not have the money or transport possibilities to travel to the city to see the doctor when they become serious ill. Ceylon Christian Care provides help by sending a doctor to the villages on a weekly basis. People can see the doctor on the project compound. |