An eyewitness account ...21 October 1987
From the Broken Palmyra
V. Thangavelu Canada, 27 February 2001
Jaffna medical staff massacred by IPKF remembered - 2003
17th Anniversary of IPKF Jaffna Hospital massacre, 22 October 2004
18th Anniversary of IPKF Jaffna Hospital Massacre, 21 October 2005

But the barbaric acts carried out by the IPKF inside the Jaffna Hospital on that day killed many. The dead included those at work - in the X ray building, doctors in the resting room, in doctors' offices, in guest houses of the doctors, and also all those injured civilians who had been brought there from all over the peninsula.

Dr.C.K.Ganesaratnam who finished his medical studies at the Jaffna University and working as a Surgeon at Jaffna General hospital, Dr. Parimezhakar, head nurse Mrs. P.Vadivelu, nurse Mrs.Mangaitkarasi, the superviors at Leelavati Private Nursing Home- Mr.Selvaraja, S.Seevaratnam, Ambulance Driver V.Shanmugalingam, and active workers at the Jaffna General Hospital Mr.Peter, Mr.M.Thurairasa were among those killed on the spot by the IPKF.

An infant and few other children also became the victims of the IPKF when they made noise, watching these horrors. Struck by a heart attack an aged civlian died died singing the "sivapuraaNam" Barrels and barrels of bullets were spent on innocent patients who tried to seek help. They did the same to the children and the aged who asked for water.

On the next morning, 22 October 1987, Dr.Sivapathasuntharam, who had unknowingly came into hospital premises attempted to save his injured coworkers, was killed by the army personnel who were on guard. The next day the IPKF collected all the dead bodies and burnt all the bodies at the back of the mortuary.

A total of 68 innocent Tamils were killed during this particular barbaric offensive of the IPKF. This number included three Doctors, three nurses, seventeen coworkers at the Jaffna hospital and others were the patients admitted to the hospital.

The killings of Dr.Sivapathasuntharam and other doctors who continued to serve the Tamil community unlike the other doctors who fled to alien lands after 1983 riots has become a dark spot in the history of Tamil people. "

The War of October 1987 (India's Disarming Operation - Jaffna Hospital

"...An attempt by the Indian Army to capture Jaffna Town had been expected for a few days. For this reason many members of the staff had kept away. Others thought the Indian Army would be considerate and stayed on performing necessary functions. Many injured by shelling and many of those wounded kept on arriving at the hospital. Medicines were in short supply, making surgery difficult. Over 70 dead bodies were said to be piled up in the mortuary.

A false sense of security prevailed because the intensity of shelling had been noticeably reduced after a telephone call made from the G.A.'s office to the Indian Embassy by leading citizens in Jaffna. They telephoned on 13 October (1987) complaining about the shelling and aerial bombing. According to these sources the Indian Embassy had denied that they had any knowledge of such military action which was bound to cause grievous harm to civilians.

The environs of the hospital came under cannon fire from the Fort and from overhead helicopters at 11:00 a.m. on 21 October - Deepavali day.

A shell fell on the O.P.D. building at 11:30 a.m.. The O.P.D. officer went running to the administration building and informed a Consultant of what had happened. At 1:00 p.m. the Consultant was informed that Indian troops had been sighted at the top of Shanti Theatre Lane. At 1:30 p.m. a shell fell on Ward 8 killing 7 persons. The Consultant who went out with another doctor to survey the situation spotted some empty cartridges suggesting that persons had been firing from inside the hospital premises.

At 2:00 p.m. the Consultant's attention was drawn to the presence of some armed L.T.T.E. men inside the hospital premises. The Consultant went with Dr. Ganesharatnam and requested them to leave, pointing out the danger they would cause the inmates. The leader of the group agreed and they went away. 5 minutes later the Consultant was informed that another group of L.T.T.E. men had come inside. Dr. Ganesharatnam requested that the Consultant go with someone else this time as he was, because of his outspokenness, already having a problematic relationship with the L.T.T.E.. The Consultant went this time with one of the lady doctors and spoke to the L.T.T.E. party. According to the Consultant, they agreed to go and "disappeared from sight."

There was a lull after 2.00 p.m.. According to this Consultant:

Thus begins the story of the harrowing experience of the resident doctors of this foremost and biggest hospital in the war torn North. One of them went on with their terrible tale:

Another of them took over the narration:

Dr. Sivapathasundaram was gunned down point blank and the nurses injured. He was a man who had come to save the lives of the children and neonates marooned in the hospital. His dedication was replied with violence and death in the hands of this army from a country that called itself the champion of peace and nonviolence.

Those who survived continued to lay among the dead, as if dead, until 11:00 a.m. the following day.

The residents said they were rescued only when an officer turned up at one of the wards and was confronted by a lady doctor there. This doctor explained the situation to the officer and later on came to where they were with the army, holding her hands up. She had called out to her colleagues and those who were injured. They found their colleague Dr. Ganesharatnam with a stethoscope lying dead.

When the residents went up to their rooms saw the whole place ransacked - with bloodied boot marks on their clothing scattered on the floor. They had lost all their valuables. Later they continued work - but a guard was at their door. They were absolutely terror stricken those days. Another resident doctor picked up the story:

So it was from the 22nd to the 29th of October, that this band of persons with all their anxieties attended to the wounded day and night single handedly. As the surgeon said:

As he was talking to us pouring out his harrowing tale, characteristically spiced with his sense of humor, we knew the spirit of medical care that pervaded this hospital in the war torn city of Jaffna.

This ordeal is unprecedented especially when viewed in the light of the earlier pronouncements of the Indian Red Cross on how a hospital should be treated even in war time - that was when Sri Lankan forces were around. Many questions were hanging unanswered. Why was no attempt to evacuate, warn or isolate the sick and the stall' make? Why was the hospital not surrounded? Why was the Indian entry into the hospital made only through the front, thus leaving the back of the hospital open for those who wanted to escape to do so - while the sick and those who cared for the sick remained behind to be killed?

It is true that the Tigers were there earlier in the day. One person said that he had seen them hanging their clothing to dry. Another saw a few arms left behind on the premises.

Be that as it may, why did the professional army of a great nation storm a civilian hospital, with such callous disregard for both international covenants and the cost in human lives which may never be determined precisely.

The Indian authorities seem to have decided that there will be no public inquiry into the incident..."

Workers and relatives garlanded and paid floral tribute to the picture frames of the twenty one victims.

Several doctors at the spoke at the function accusing the Indian army for committing the atrocity violating the human rights of people where sick and the disabled take refuge, and where professionals are engaged in the most humanitarian endeavor of looking after the sick and injured.

The victims of the massacre included three leading medical specialists at that time, Dr.A.Sivapathasuntharam, Dr.K.Parimelalahar and Dr.K.Ganesharatnam, three nurses and fifteen other employees.