New care unit donated

Razeena Razick

COLOMBO: "September 11th Memorial Preliminary Care Unit" of Lunawa District Hospital was opened by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Jeevan Kumarathunge on Friday.

The donation was offered by the World Trade Centre United Family Group and Coalition 9/11 Families in United States of America.

The Buddhist community in Staten Island, whose response led to personal donations and candlelight vigils for the victims of 9/11.

Those were mere tokens by comparison to the America response to the tsunami, which was overwhelmingly compassionate towards Sri Lankans in their hour of need, said Premalal Ranasinghe, Relief Coordinator of Staten Island Buddhist Vihara.

Dr. H. R. U. Indrasiri said that the people who would need first aid or were not in serious conditions could be treated in the Preliminary Care Unit (PCU) rather than Forwarding them to OPD. The PCU was a much needed unit for Lunawa Hospital.

Currently such units are in operation in Lunugama, Horana, Gampaha, Negombo, Avissawella. This will improve health Care provided to the residents of Moratuwa.

Although the donation was supposed to go to tsunami affected areas in the South, but as more than 22,000 people were displaced by tsunami and are sheltered in camps in Moratuwa, the Unit was donated to Lunawa Hospital.

The Preliminary Care Unit was build at a cost of 1.5 billion. The occasion continued comprising Ven. Heenbune Kondanna Thera of Staten Island Buddhist Vihara USA, Moratuwa Mayor Saman Lal Fernando, Premalal Ranasinghe Relief Coordinator, Contractors Deshamanya Dr. Gamini Ranasinghe and Jayasundara and several other members.