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Ceylinco Healthcare offers free breast care consultations

Free breast care consultations with doctors will be available to women courtesy the Ceylinco Healthcare Centre in Colombo throughout this month which is dedicated universally to breast cancer awareness.

The centre, which is the most advanced stand-alone private facility in Sri Lanka for cancer screening and treatment, said the objective of this programme is to provide advice and information to women on how to prevent breast cancer through regular self-examination and screening.

The free consultations will be on appointment and will comprise of a physical examination by a doctor, who will also provide guidelines and awareness on proper breast care. As in previous years, the Centre will also distribute pink ribbons to visitors.

Wearing a pink ribbon during October shows that the wearer honours survivors, remembers those lost to the disease and supports the search for a cure.

The focus of the Ceylinco Healthcare Centre every October is to encourage women to undergo Mammograms, a screening procedure recommended to be done regularly by women over the age of 40.

“Mammography is the gold standard and in the front line of defense in the war against breast cancer,” Senior Medical Officer of the Centre Dr. Shyama Fernando said. “It has been established beyond any doubt that early detection of any form of cancer significantly improves the victim’s chances of curing or controlling the spread of the disease.

In the case of breast cancer, early detection can prevent the loss of the breast and the spread of the cancer to other parts of the body.”

In Sri Lanka, breast cancer is the commonest form of cancer among females, and accounts for 22.5 per cent of all cancers in women. This alarming situation can be reversed if more women are made aware that mammography can detect a cancer up to two years before it is large enough to be felt, and that cancers detected early can often be cured.

People’s Bank rewards Year Five scholarship winner

PEOPLE’S BANK, the State banking giant, and winner of the ‘Banking and Financial Services Brand of the Year’ award, at People’s Awards - 2007, recently awarded Master Chagi Basuru Weerakoon, a sum of Rs. 100,000 as a reward for his exceptional success at the Year 5 Scholarship Examination - 2007.

Basuru, a student of Taxila Vidyalaya, Horana obtained 200 marks out of a total of 200, becoming the highest

 scorer in the island.

It is a rare feat for a student to score the full mark at such a competitive examination of this nature. He received his reward from the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake at the State Literary Festival - 2007, which was held at Taxila Vidyalaya, in the presence of W. Karunajeewa, Chairman, People’s Bank.

People’s Bank also awarded Rs. 75,000 each to the two second highest scorers of the examination as well. They are Jinushki Chalindi Saluwadana from John Boscoe Vidyalaya, Hanwella, and Asitha Mahesh de Silva from Wathugedara Sripathi Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda, who both obtained 196 marks each.

Presenting the reward to Jinushki Chalindi Saluwadana at a ceremony held at the People’s Bank Head Office, Asoka de Silva Chief Executive Officer/General Manager reiterated the Bank’s commitment in supporting and encouraging the children of Sri Lanka in their future endeavours by paving a secure future for them.

He expressed that the success stories of these children will provide inspiration to other aspiring children as well.

Speaking at a ceremony in Galle, held to reward Master Asitha Mahesh de Silva, Asoka de Silva commented that People’s Bank works to inculcate the habit of saving in children through the Sisu Udana children’s savings account, while conducting educational programs under the Bank’s corporate social responsibility drive.

People’s Bank is indeed proud to be associated with such exceptionally talented students as Basuru, Jinushki and Asitha. People’s Bank extends its heartiest congratulations to all these bright youngsters, who are also Sisu Udana account holders.

It is the Bank’s fervent hope that they will grow up to become outstanding citizens of Sri Lanka, taking the nation forward in its journey of development.

Rock bed water Aquafresh proves purity

Aquafresh bottled by Access Natural Water (PVT) Ltd, is part of the Access Group of Companies. Access was selected as one of the most respected companies by AC Neilson in their survey for Lanka Monthly Digest in mid 2007. So as far as reputation goes it is at the top.

What Aquafresh has to offer is from a natural spring 200 feet below the surface at Labugamkanda bordering the Ratnapura District. Away from the nearest town it is free of any sort of contamination.

The water that is extracted is from beneath the rock bed of the stream and therefore as experts claim it is of such high quality, pure and rich with life sustaining minerals that it is excellent for drinking even at the point of extraction.

Touching on the quality of the entire process, the bottling plant at Udagama, Padukka is quite impressive. The factory is located at the water spring so that moulding, filling and sealing is done at the very source.

It is designed and constructed complying with the highest international standards. Aquafresh conforms to SLS 894, ISO 9001: 2000 and HACCP standards.

Each step of the bottling process takes place in a designated and separate unit so that high levels of efficiency and hygiene are maintained throughout. Each batch of water undergoes stringent physical, chemical and bacteriological analysis in an onsite laboratory before it is despatched.

Hayleys AIG hosts insurance brokers to cricket fiesta

The BRC Grounds was a hive of activity recently when 20 teams of Insurance Broking firms competed for the Hayleys AIG Challenge Trophy.

It was a memorable day for the Insurance Broking Industry when Hayleys AIG took on the task of organizing a six-a-side softball cricket tournament for the Insurance Broking fraternity; the first of its kind ever

 organised for the Insurance Brokers.

The participation was excellent with a crowd of over 400. The matches started off early and continued until sundown. Everyone present had a day of joy and fun with unlimited entertainment, activity with the percussion bands keeping the party going and creating a carnival atmosphere. .

Managing Director of Hayleys AIG Insurance Jean-Pierre Assaf said that “this was a unique event; a first of its kind to be hosted by an insurance company. The idea was enthusiastically received by the Insurance Broker’s Association.

The positive feedback we received gave us the encouragement to make this an annual event as part of our long-term commitment to the industry and particularly to the insurance broking community.

We take this opportunity to thank the Broker’s Association for the support extended to us to make this event a success.”

The eagerly fought finals saw Lanka Orix Insurance Brokers emerging as the champion team of the tournament and Commercial Insurance Brokers were runners up. Asitha Bernard of Lanka Orix Insurance Brokers was adjudged the Man of the Series and Best Batsman whilst Best Bowler went to Rasika De Silva also of Lanka Orix Insurance Brokers.

The trophies were given out by the Managing Director, Jean-Pierre Assaf to the winners.

AIG is the world’s leading international insurance and financial services organization with operations in approximately 130 countries and jurisdictions. The member companies of AIG serve commercial, institutional and individual customers through the most extensive worldwide property-casualty insurance networks of any insurer.

In the United States, AIG is the largest underwriter of commercial and industrial insurance. AIG’s global business also include Life Insurance, Financial services, Retirement savings and Asset management.

AIG’s Financial service businesses include aircraft leasing, financial products, trading and market making. AIG’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange as well as the stock exchanges in London, Paris, Switzerland and Tokyo.

DFCC Vardhana Bank adopts strategies for profitability

DFCC Vardhana Bank (DVB), the everyday banking unit of DFCC Bank, recently sponsored the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Homagama Traders’ Association (HTA) as a part of its continuing efforts to improve the businesses of the customers serviced by its Kottawa branch.

Adding a further level to its commitment to the HTA, the bank’s Chief Operating Officer and the President of the Association of Professional Bankers, Sri Lanka, Lakshman Silva made the main presentation of the day. The topic covered potential strategies that could be adopted for profitability during economic turbulence.

Silva’s presentation referred not only to potential strategies that could be adopted for profitability during economic turbulence, but also covered changing economic policies implemented by the government, as well as how businessmen should change their strategies to survive and prosper in the current environment.

Silva also took the opportunity to introduce DVB’s deposit and loan products, created specially to help the everyday businessmen.

These products include the Dana Vardhana and Golden Jubilee Savings schemes, and other useful services on offer such as housing and trade loans as well as short-term working loans facilities.

DVB carried out a number of street promotions in Homagama and its suburbs. Door-to-door visits were also utilised to inform and educate residents of the variety of deposit products on offer, including the lucrative fixed deposits and convenient savings account facilities.

Panora goes global with Taiwan expansion

Panora Corporation the first ever Sri Lankan PC assembling operation has entered the international business arena with the setting up of their first offshore operation in Taiwan, called Panora Taiwan.

The majority shareholder of Panora Taiwan is SHM Rishan, Chairman of PCH Holdings, while Edden Chien and Anderson Wu will be the overseas partners joined in as investors.

According to Rishan, the parent company of Panora Corporation, the objective of this regional expansion is to reach out to international markets, mainly the Asia-Pacific region, Russia, Australia and New Zealand, Far East and Middle East and capitalise on the ever increasing and diversifying demand for IT products and services.

Rishan said “Any business related to IT sector, whether it is software or hardware has become a very competitive trade, locally and globally. In order to support our bottom-line, to enhance business scalability, to allow the free flow of industry related business practices and to bring in much needed foreign exchange to Sri Lanka while generating employment, we as local entrepreneurs should think beyond our horizons. Panora Taiwan was set up with these objectives in mind.”

At Panora Taiwan buying, selling, re-treading, importing and exporting of IT related products will take place. Panora Taiwan will also act as PCH Holdings’ International Procurement Hub and as its International Trading arm.

As the procurement hub, Panora Taiwan will represent PCH Holdings in the purchasing of computer peripherals and Panora items like monitors, keyboards, mouse and casings, office automation machines such as Kyocera Mita photocopiers, Optoma projectors etc.

This overseas operation will help Panora Corporation to purchase accessories and peripherals cheaper, faster and to enjoy credit facilities, which are normally not given to foreign companies.

As the trading arm, Panora Taiwan will then re-sell these products to partners in all the regions it has planned.

Almost all the brands PC House represents, including ISO Certified Panora computers will therefore be sold in foreign markets paving the way for PC House to penetrate international geographic locations and to position Panora as an internationally known and accepted brand.

Panora computers will be assembled in Taiwan using material sourced from OEM partners and strict attention will be paid to maintain production guidelines and quality assurance policies of Panora Corporation Sri Lanka.