UNP parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena has thanked the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) for coming forward to voluntarily provide medical attention and services to the internally displaced Tamil people, who had come to the Government-controlled areas of the Vanni and who are now being located in welfare centres in Mannar and Vavuniya.

"I feel that the GMOA has set an example to everybody as a patriotic Trade Union, to win over the trust and confidence of the Tamil people of the Vanni. I wish and pray that other associations too, will follow the GMOA", he said in a statement.

"I was informed that a group of Sinhala doctors of the GMOA are looking after the health needs of the internally displaced Tamil people in the welfare centers in Mannar and Vavuniya. This gesture will undoubtedly help in fostering ethnic harmony in our country, where all ethnic groups could live together as Sri Lankans within a united Sri Lanka."

"I was a member of the GMOA from 1980 to 1994, until I was elected to Parliament. After my election in 1994, I have been organizing medical camps and eye clinics for the benefit of the Tamil people, who have been suffering in silence in the North and East. I was ridiculed and there have been so many false and malicious allegations against me for organizing such humanitarian services, by the extremists of our country, Dr. Jayewardena said.

Even though there were so many accusations and death threats for providing such humanitarian needs to these deserving people, even risking my life, today, I am happy that the truth has prevailed and that most of the people have realized the importance of trust and confidence building to live in harmony. Unfortunately now, I have been denied access even to the Government-controlled areas of Mannar and Vavuniya to render my services to those people I have not even been allowed to visit the hospitals of Vavuniya and Mannar, he complained.