Today, Sri Lanka has a leader who thinks that all citizens are his children. Therefore, the future of the country will be brighter and prosperous than ever. Covid-19 can be got rid of under the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Sri Lanka will rise as one nation, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the newly built quarters for nurses at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, (NIID) in Angoda she said the staff of NIID are the unsung heroes and their names will be written in gold in Sri Lankan history after the names of the President and the Prime Minister. They did not go home since the start of the outbreak and separated from their families because they valued their service to the country more than anything else, she said.
In response to an urgent request by the Presidential Task Force for Covid-19 control in Sri Lanka, the Royal College Old Boys’ East Coast Foundation (RCOBECF) based in New York in partnership with Sukumar and Ann Nagendran, donated Rs. 15 Million for the construction and furnishing of a 16-room/32-bed nurses’ quarters at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) in Sri Lanka.
The need for this facility was triggered by the overwhelming demand for nursing care required to treat the large number of Covid-19 patients brought to the hospital from areas throughout the country. With accommodations available only for 30 nurses at the existing facility, the hospital faced great difficulty in sustaining the essential workforce. This limitation exacerbated the potential transfer of the virus by these workers to their families; hence the urgent need to expand their accommodations at the hospital.
Due to the urgency of the project, a project team was established by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), led by its Chairman Rtd. General Daya Ratnayake. To fast-track the construction (in less than three weeks), the building was designed to be pre-fabricated. While the SLPA was responsible for design, contract management and supervision, construction services were provided by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).
On the directives of the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, the Directorate of Civil Engineering commenced the construction together with the Sir Lanka Ports Authority. The SLAF Engineering Team was led by Wing Commander KMP Hewapathirana and Flight Lieutenant IVC Buddika together with 60 airmen from the Civil Engineering Wing at Katunayake.
The entire project opened on May 8, 2020 (the second day of Vesak) consists of 16 fully furnished bedrooms that provide 32 beds and adequate restroom facilities. The Director Civil Engineering, Air Vice Marshal Ruchira Samarasinghe also attended the handing over ceremony.
In a statement released by the President of RCOBECF, Dr. Suku Nagendran stated: “It is our privilege, on this holy day of Vesak, to donate this much-needed and fully furnished facility to the IDH. While we ‘New York Royalists’ have left Sri Lanka for higher education and career advancement, our hearts are still with the motherland. We attribute our success abroad to our years of rigorous and free education in Sri Lanka, where we were taught the value of integrity, teamwork, tenacity, and unconditional service for the betterment of humanity.
Since the formation of our Alumni Association in 1993, more than 27 years ago, we have been involved in charitable activities in both Sri Lanka and the United States, all with the goal of improving lives of those less fortunate.
“COVID-19 has pushed the global healthcare system to its limits. Sri Lanka’s rapid and thorough response has led to an impressive containment effort.
The service of the doctors and nurses at NIID plays an important role within this multifaceted effort. Hence, the request to build this wing to house hospital staff was considered a critical need by our Alumni Foundation. We are happy to have worked with the dedicated team from the Sri Lanka Air Force, and the Ports Authority, who worked tirelessly day and night to make this a reality today. The encouragement and support of the Principal, Royal College and the Royal College Union (RCU) are also acknowledged”, he said in his statement.
“Finally, to the doctors, nurses and healthcare workers of NIID, you are true heroes, and we salute you for putting your lives on the line to treat the vulnerable without any expectations! It is said that those who follow this principle are the happiest people, as is truly evident today. Although separated by oceans and continents, we are always here to help Sri Lanka and its people achieve greatness and become a safe and just society for all”, he said in his statement.