Health in the Firing Line

9:00Registration, tea and coffee

9:30Welcome
Dr Suppiah Ratneswaren, GP and director of Tamil Information Centre

Health in North-East Sri Lanka
Chair - Ms Marion Birch, director of Medact

9:40Health in North-East Sri Lanka
Mr John Mahoney, UK National Counterpart for Mental Health and former WHO consultant in Sri Lanka

10:00Mental Health and Psychological Effects of War
Dr Anula Nikapotha & Professor Rachel Tribe, University of East London

10:20Psychological needs of Tamil refugees in London: The refugee council approach
Mr Andrew Keefe, Refugee Council

10:40Maps in the Sand: Investigating health and human rights in Sri Lanka
Mr Vairamuttu Varadakumar, Executive Secretary, Tamil Information Centre

11:00Discussion

11:20Tea and coffee break

The current humanitarian crisis in the Vanni region
Ms Frances Harrison, former BBC correspondant

11:40The current crisis: access to food and medicine
Ms Urmila Paramarajah, Msc, medical student, University of Glasgow

12:00The role of the international community in responding to the crisis
Dr Jonathan Goodhand, Senior Lecture, School of Oriental and African Studies

12:20Discussion

12:30Closing remarks
Mr Pathman Ratnasar, retd ENT surgeon & director of Tamil Information Centre

13:00Lunch

21.04 Programme