Even before dawn on Tuesday, people lined up for medical assistance at an emergency camp in Sri Lanka’s coastal town of Chilaw, devastated by a deadly cyclone and floods.
Prasantha Perera, a 60-year-old carpenter, awaited the removal of a wooden splinter from his foot to begin the challenging task of cleanup.
Cyclone Ditwah, the island’s worst in a century, impacted over two million people, nearly 10% of the population.
At least 638 people lost their lives.
Perera was the first patient to leave the disaster medical camp, operated by Japanese aid workers supporting Chilaw’s flood-stricken hospital.
“I couldn’t enter the camp yesterday, so I arrived today at 4:00 am to be first,” he said, bowing in gratitude to the Japanese medics.
Dozens were already in line, and some were advised to return the next day due to the long queue.
“My house was submerged under five feet (1.5 metres) of water,” Perera shared with AFP, limping home with medicine to prevent infection.
“I couldn’t start cleaning due to the splinter, but now I can.”
Aid workers addressed numerous ailments but could only attend to about 150 patients daily.
“I’ll come early tomorrow for eczema medicine,” said Eva Kumari, 51, after being turned away when capacity was reached.
The Sri Lankan government requested Japan’s outpatient disaster medical unit in Chilaw, 70 kilometres (43 miles) from Colombo, as the town’s main hospital was flooded.
Hospital deputy director Dinesh Koggalage noted it resumed admitting patients nearly two weeks post-cyclone.
– Disease Concerns –
Professor Taketo Kurozumi, head of disaster medical management at Tokyo’s Teikyo University, noted high demand for the Japanese team.
“Numbers are rising,” he told AFP, citing common issues like skin and respiratory problems and mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called Cyclone Ditwah the most challenging recent disaster, seeking international aid for recovery.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency’s 31-member medical team arrived days post-cyclone.
They set up clinics in white tents with medical kits and power generators, aided by 16 translators.
Medics greet patients with bowed heads and clasped hands in a Sri Lankan tradition.
A Japanese volunteer monk, Kazuyuki Takahashi, known as Saranankara Himi, oversees queue management, speaking Sinhala fluently.
The queue moves slowly as doctors devote time to patient histories, a luxury Sri Lanka’s health system often cannot afford.
