As fighting intensified in North causing severe casualties, the LTTE seize stocks of medical supplies dispatched by the government for the civilians in Wanni, defence sources said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a statement released yesterday (April 17), said that hospitals in the non-liberated areas in Wanni and North are running short of basic medical supplies.

The Red Cross report attributes the problem as the lack of regular deliveries, limited number of staffers and medical equipment, but states it had managed to get supplies from the government.

Following the release of the ICRC statement, Minister of Health Nimal Siripla de Silva called on a special meeting at the Health Ministry this morning.

During the meeting the officials informed the Minister a shipload of medical supplies has already been dispatched to the north during the first quarter of the year while preparations have been made to dispatch the second shipload soon.

According to defence officials, the LTTE is stockpiling essential medicines, contributing to the creation of artificial shortages of important critical care items.

Important drugs and other medical supplies supplied by the government and intended for civilians in uncleared areas are routinely hijacked by the LTTE, adding to the health difficulties already faced by civilians in those areas.

The army reports that a large number of LTTE cadres injured in recent fighting in the Jaffna Peninsula are being smuggled into civilian hospitals for treatment.