Campaign Story

I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity; I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity; The health of my patient will be my first consideration; I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient; I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat; I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.

Hippocratic Oath (Declaration of Geneva), taken at time of being admitted as a member of the medical profession.


Between February and May 2009, a war was raging along the North-Eastern coastline of Sri Lanka. In a narrow strip of land, over 300,000 civilians were trapped between battle lines. Bombing and shelling on a daily basis in heavily-populated areas was commonplace.

Many doctors and medical staff fled the area for safety. Few could blame them. Three doctors, employed by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health and appointed to work in what was now the war zone, chose to stay behind.

They could not abandon the seriously wounded and dying with no one to treat them.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), these physicians coordinated with the ICRC to evacuate nearly 14,000 patients and their caregivers from the war zone between mid-February and May 9.During the final hours of the war on May 15, 2009, Drs. Thangamuthu Sathiyamoorthy, Veerakaththi Shanmugarajah, Thurairajah Varatharajah fled along with 5,000 civilians to the Omanthai crossing point. Drs. Sathiyamoorthy and Shanmugarajah were detained by the Sri Lankan army on May 16, and subsequently transferred to the Terrorism Investigation Division in Colombo. Dr. Varatharajah was seriously injured and airlifted by the Sri Lankan Air Force from Omanthai to an unknown location.

These physicians have not committed any crimes. They were just performing their medical duty of caring for the sick and dying. Indeed, calls for their release have been pouring out from international human rights, medical and press organizations around the world. On August 24, after three months in detention and amid growing international pressure, the physicians were conditionally released on bail. Sadly, they still face prosecution for serving the civilian population to which they were assigned. Their detainment and subsequent prosecution comes as a shock to all who respect the neutrality of medicine.

Save the Doctors Campaign was initiated by concerned friends, family, colleagues, human rights groups and activists. This global effort aims to increase public awareness of the plight of these doctors and ensure that justice is served.

Campaign Objectives

  • Appeal to the United Nations, ICRC and NGOs to intervene on behalf of these physicians and ensure they are protected under international law;

  • Work with professional medical bodies worldwide to press for their release;

  • Engage local government officials and elected representatives to ensure justice for these physicians;

  • Initiate a petition calling for the safety and release of these physicians;

  • Talk to the media about these physicians and what their detainment means to physicians everywhere;

  • Cooperate with organizations working for the freedom of physicians facing persecution in Sri Lanka and around the world.