Before Dawn, Sri Lankans Queue for Care as Japanese Medics Tackle Cyclone Ditwah Aftermath

Well before sunrise on Tuesday, long lines formed outside an emergency medical camp in Chilaw, the coastal Sri Lankan town badly battered by Cyclone Ditwah and subsequent floods. Residents stood patiently to receive care as the local health system struggled to recover after the storm.

Sixty-year-old carpenter Prasantha Perera waited to have a splinter of wood removed from his left foot so he could finally begin the difficult work of cleaning his home. The cyclone — described in reports as the island's worst this century — has affected more than two million people, roughly 10% of the population, and has been blamed for at least 638 deaths.

"I couldn't get into the camp yesterday, so I turned up today at 4:00 am to be first in line," Perera said, bowing to thank the Japanese medics. "My house went under five feet (1.5 metres) of water. I couldn't start cleaning up because of this splinter, but now I can begin."

The makeshift clinic, set up in white tents by a 31-member team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, supports Chilaw's state hospital after the facility was flooded. The team arrived days after the cyclone and, together with 16 translators, treats roughly 150 patients a day — leaving many turned away once capacity is reached.

Disease Threat

Professor Taketo Kurozumi, head of disaster medical management at Tokyo's Teikyo University, said demand for care was increasing. Common complaints include skin conditions, respiratory problems and mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue fever and chikungunya — risks that typically rise after large-scale flooding.

All medics greet patients with bowed heads and hands clasped in a traditional Sri Lankan salutation. Queue management is overseen by a Japanese volunteer monk who has lived on the island for 15 years, Kazuyuki Takahashi (also known by his Buddhist name Saranankara Himi), and translators help bridge the language gap.

The line moves slowly because clinicians take time to listen to each patient's history and treat cases more fully than Sri Lanka's overstretched health system can usually afford. Local officials and the country's president have appealed for international aid to support recovery and public-health measures as the emergency response shifts from rescue to rebuilding and disease prevention.

Reporting by AFP. Local names, figures and descriptions reflect sources at the time of publication.