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Shining hour for State health system

The averting of the spread of infectious diseases in the tsunami- ravaged areas of the country is fresh proof that the State - operated health care system of this country is continuing to do Sri Lanka proud.

From what could be gathered, the Lankan health authorities are proactively involved in particularly the camps for the displaced and at the places where they have been relocated, leaving no stone unturned in wiping out all the conditions which could be conducive to the spread of infectious diseases. This initiation of precautionary measures is, indeed, commendable.

As could be learnt from our lead story yesterday, timely action by the Lankan Health Ministry has proved so effective that only 135 cases of diarrhoea and 579 cases of viral fever have been reported from the affected areas.

While two factors in this success story are the timely action by the Health Ministry and the spontaneous international assistance which has come our way, it wouldn't be wrong to point out that the continued sustenance of the State welfare system has also something to do with this.

Our State-run health care system which has been a boon to the common people over the decades and helped Sri Lanka to be singled out in the past as a model Welfare State in the Third World, has apparently bravely weathered the tsunami too and proved its continued usefulness and robustness.

By implication, the vibrancy of the State health care system proves the continued importance of the State itself and its institutions in meeting the needs of the people.

Sri Lankan welfarism has been regarded in some quarters as an anachronism in this age of globalization but the Health Ministry's continued usefulness and even vibrancy, proves that such assessments could be way off the mark.

The State and its institutions are central to the well being of the people and this will - apparently - continue to be the case, globalization or no globalization. Truly, the people's condition would be deplorable if not for the continued intervention of State health institutions.

So, there is much to be thankful about. We are certainly facing a humanitarian crisis but this is no overwhelming catastrophe which couldn't be contained intelligently. In fact, the people and the State should now look to the future rather than remain mired in a spirit of despondency.

Slowly but surely people are beginning to put their lives in order and pick up the pieces. This spirit of resiliency and stoic endurance should be continuously kept alive. The people should be encouraged to rebuild their lives and step boldly into the future.

Habitats and livelihoods must be steadily rebuilt and the displaced encouraged to be self-sustaining. We warmly welcome moves by some of the affected to take charge of their lives.

A knowledge wave

Only a few photographs and written accounts exist of the 1883 tsunami that devastated the region around Indonesia. On the contrary, there is an information overload on the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Satellite images, seismic sensors, professional/amateur TV footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts have provided a goldmine of information. Add the plethora of tsunami information in websites, online fora and blogs and one literally gets the complete picture.

This is a boon for science and scientists. They should have enough material and evidence to understand more about this force of nature and how to tackle it in future.

Oceanographers and geologists had a general idea on the formation of tsunami waves, but this incident was so thoroughly documented that they have an opportunity to update their databases and knowledge.

As luck would have it, two hours after the wave radiated out, a pair of US-French satellites happened to be passing overhead. They took radar measurements of sea levels of the Bay of Bengal along a 3,000-kilometre (1,900-mile) stretch just as the tsunami's leading edge was reaching Sri Lanka and India.

What the orbiting scouts saw was unique: two waves of a maximum height of about 50 centimetres, travelling 500-800 kms apart. This, being the first-ever live satellite observation of a propagating tsunami, will give vital clues on the amount of energy released and the way it travels, is forced to slow or change direction because of underwater mountains or slopes.

Although the 50 cm waves may seem tiny, but they represented the crest of a travelling body of water several thousand metres deep. When the wave collided with the continental shelf, this force began to build up, sending a towering wall of water into the coast.

Scientists say the information gathered from satellites and earthquake sensors will help identify vulnerable areas, set up an alert system, and help build structures and breakwaters that deflect or slow down the waves before they reach the shore.

Through computer models, scientists should be able to give quick and accurate advice when the Indian Ocean tsunami alert system gets under way next year. Details of the on-shore destruction will enable them to analyse why certain buildings and areas were reduced to rubble and while some others were not. This will lead to research on structures that could withstand the twin forces of tsunamis and earthquakes.

Moreover, scientists have learned a great deal about natural tsunami barriers such as mangroves and coral reefs. Nature itself can protect us from its destructive side. It is a lesson for all of us, not just scientists.

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