Authorities in a hospital in Sri Lanka's eastern province is to resort to DNA tests to determine the parents of a four-month-old child left destitute by the tsunami last month, the state radio said here Saturday.

The radio said some three mothers had claimed the ownership of the toddler who had been admitted to the Kalmunai hospital a few hours after the tsunami attack which devastated the eastern coast.

The police was called to the hospital to stop the fighting women over the ownership of the child, the radio said.

The UNICEF said that in Sri Lanka nearly 1,000 children have lost both parents while over 3,000 have lost one parent due to the tsunami attack.

There have been persistent stories of children disappearing from relief camps.

The government task force to rebuild and rehabilitate has begun a mechanism to register the unaccompanied children.

A special committee was set up by the government recently to address issues relating to child victims of the disaster.