Unawatuna District Hospital

17 May 2005

Unawatuna District Hospital

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This is a psychiatric hospital. Several charities had been to the hospital and promised help, but no help had been fothcoming. Friends of Unawatuna stepped in and have helped with various things to make the patients' lives more tolerable.

Laura Dunham writes below about her experiences of helping out at this hospital:

"We finished the cleaning and painting of 55 beds and cupboards.  It looks infinitely better.  This job took three full days.  We had the help of a group of tourists who were on a working  holiday from Different-Travel.  They were a huge help, as were the patients who enjoyed the company and stimulation.  They also did not mind cleaning the grossest beds and cupboards which looked like they hadn’t been cleaned since the old king died.  We also painted the tables and benches in both the men’s and women’s wards.  All of this was badly needed, and I think we all enjoyed spending time at the hospital with the patients.  They are just so funny.   They did whatever job we gave them as long as we helped them to put the gloves on.   Scrubbing anything for them was easy, getting one finger into each hole of the glove, impossible.  

...I went shopping for the items on the list.  We purchased a refrigerator, two televisions, two radios, three large cupboards with locks, a filing cabinet, 55 plastic files, several stainless steel water jugs, an electric urn, a water filter, sewing and painting materials, pillowcases, some stools, 48 cups, some medical supplies, and a TV antenna.  They were ecstatic to receive all of this and both the nursing officer and the head doctor said that we were the only charity to do what we had promised.  Several charities have visited the hospital after the tsunami, took pictures, and asked what they needed, and then never returned.  The head doctor is writing us a thank you letter.  "

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