Medical workers carried the photographs of the slain doctor

Dr. S.W. Palitha Pathmakumara, the Medical Superintendent at Navatkadu Maternity Hospital, was killed by unidentified gunmen at the hospital around 9.30 pm on Sunday.

On Monday, Medical officers, Nurses and other health workers held a protest march demanding assurance of security for medical staff in the Eastern province.

threat to safety

According to hospital authorities, all Sinhala doctors had left the district saying that they would not return until their security is assured.

Dr. Manjula Amaratunge who had worked in the area over a year told the BBC, that there is no guarantee of security for doctors. "It is one doctor today. Tomorrow who knows? They can kill one, two, a hundred. We are walking out to make a point. We want everyone to know that we can't work under these circumstances".

The doctors say that the ministry of defence and the ministry of health will have give them an assuarnce of security for them to return to work.

Sixty percent of doctors leave district

	Protests in the town centre

"When Sinhala doctors had walked out, it is impossible to conduct normal procedures in the hospital. We will only perform emergency treatment and compulsory surgery". Dr. Sahul Hamid Mohammed of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) told the BBC.

According to Dr. Hamid 62 sinhalese doctors including interns will be leaving the Hospital. "It is 60 % of the doctors in the district. We can't conduct normal services without them".

Another person was also killed by gunmen who broke in to a nearby house. The wife of the victim told the BBC, the attackers broke the door down to drag her husband out and kill him.