The Australia Sri Lanka Medical Aid Team made their twelfth trip to Sri Lanka since Tsunami 2004 for work at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle and the Hambantota Base Hospital.

The photographs show Dr. Jennifer Johns - Director of Cardiology at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne - discussing an echocardiograph with Dr. Somasiri Uluwatte VP Hambantota and his staff and Dr. Sian Hughes - paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital - examining a young lad at the Foundation of Goodness medical clinic at Seenigama.

Dr. Hughes took part in a workshop on Autism in Colombo. Dr. Johns addressed the Galle Medical Society on "Congenital Heart Disease" and the Hambantota hospital staff on "Management of Myocardial Infarction".

The AusLMAT team were joined in Sri Lanka by the Australian Interplast Team of plastic surgeons lead by Mr. Keith Mutimer from Brighton in Victoria and by Dr. Tony Moss - Consultant Paediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer at St. Georges Hospital UK.

The Sri Lanka Association of Victoria lead by Joe Schokman and the Chairman of Help SL in Victoria - Mr. Nihal de Run- were also in Galle at the time. SLAV have made major contributions to the Karapitiya Hospital including floor tiling, ward cupboards and curtains.

Mr. David Young - orthopaedic surgeon- and Dr. Skantha Vallipuram - anaesthetist- also arrived in Galle to work in the orthopaedic unit at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.

Medical students from across Australia will make their second visit to Galle later this year. Plans are underway for medical students from UK to join the Aussie students. They will be accompanied by Dr. Sian Hughes and Dr. Quintus de Zylva.