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| Thursday, 28 October 2004 |
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The German Help Foundation (GHF) Sri Lanka sponsored and organised the 22nd Mercy Mission in Free Plastic Surgery and the fifth InterPlast UK at the Hambantota Base Hospital which commenced on October 18 will end on October 30. The Medical Superintendent Dr. U.P. Ariyawansa and his medical staff of the Base Hospital,coordinate the Mission. The Mercy Mission Team comprising medical personnel from UK, USA, New Zealand and Sri Lanka is headed by its President Dr. Charles Viva. The Missions, carried out in close liaison with the Health Ministry, the Sri Lanka Medical Council and the Sri Lanka Customs has backing of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. This year the GHF-Sri Lanka had selected Hambantota to carry out their operations to pay tribute and honour to Prime Minister Rajapkase. They had not carried out their operations in this district since 1996. In Hambantota, the Mission hopes to carry out around 200 operations. The GHF also had directed Dr.Viva to donate E.N.T. equipment to the value of Rs.3.5 million, to the Eye Clinic at Hambantota hospital responding to a request made by the Premier. The Foundation-although registered as a NGO in 1995, there had been a few teams here on mission from InterPlast from Germany since 1993. The Free Plastic Surgery Mercy Mission had conducted operations in government hospitals in Matara, Trincomalee,Nuwara Eliya, Hambantota, Badulla, Peradeniya, Vavuniya, Marawila, Seeduwa, Ratnapura and Jaffna. During this period the Team has carried out 2313 operations on Cleft hips and Plates, Double Cleft, Skin grafts, Burns,Scar Contractures, Post Traumatic injuries and Birth Deformities. The value of these operations was in the region of Rs. 244.2 million. Apart from the operations, they have donated surplus equipment, medicine, dressing materials worth Rs.18.3 million. Since 2002, the GHF-Sri Lanka has also sponsored and organised free cataract surgery and implants and to date they have carried three missions on this in Vavunia, Jaffna and Kandana and had performed 504 operations to the value of Rs.10.9 million and had donated surplus equipment to the value of Rs.4.8 million. The Federal Government of Germany through the GHF had donated hospital equipment to Kandy and Kurunegala government hospitals to the value of Rs.275 million. Thus the financial benefits to the country through these projects and donations have been in the region of Rs.553.2 million. With the historic Mercy Mission in Free Plastic Surgery conducted in February, 2002, for the first time since the inception of the Mission here, there was free distribution of over 1,000 pairs of spectacles to the needy. The team also conducts lectures and seminars for the benefit of the medical and para medical personnel. The Mercy Mission in Hambantota this time would bring about financial benefit to the district in the region of Rs. 35 to 40 million and the local expenses would be about Rs. 800,000, a communique issued by the GHF said. (Wiruma) |
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