Ceremonial donation of refurbished Victoria Home to inhabitants
COLOMBO: The Victoria Home for the incurable situated at
Parliament Road, Rajagiriya is 118 years old. Established in the old Eye
Hospital at the Lipton Circus by Sir Arthur Gordon, the then Governor of
Ceylon the Victoria is the only resident healthcare facility in Sri
Lanka for people with incurable disabilities.
The institution is managed by a governing committee consisting of 16
members representing different institutions including the District
Secretary Colombo, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, the Director
General for Health Services and the Mayor of Colombo.
Victoria Home was shifted to Parliament Road, Rajagiriya in 1960.
Currently 180 patients are resident, cared for by a staff of fifty with
100 more in the waiting list. The inhabitants most of whom are
bedridden, are cared for day and night by the staff. Medical aid,
outings, festive occasions, sports and recreational and religious
activities are organized by the home.
Post 1960, several new wards were added on by various benefactors but
no repairs were done on the main ward complex which houses the most
number of inhabitants.
The Ceylinco Sarana Fund, under the guidance of Deshamanya Dr. Lalith
Kothalawala undertook all repairs of the building at a cost of Rs. 18
million. The newly refurbished Home will be opened at 10 a.m. on August
10.
The Ceylinco Sarana Fund is formed by the donations given from the
monthly salaries of the staff and directorate of Ceylinco Consolidated
and the monthly turnover from all member organisations of the Ceylinco
Group. The Fund is utilised for various welfare enterprises. |