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Ceylinco Healthcare plans:

International nursing school in Sri Lanka

Exploratory talks to set up an international nursing school in Sri Lanka have been initiated by Ceylinco Healthcare Services Ltd., (CHSL) with representatives of the Valley Hospital, New Jersey USA and Ramapo College of New Jersey, CHSL said this week.

The Ceylinco Life subsidiary said it was considering a joint venture affiliation with the two reputed American institutions to offer internationally recognised Diploma and BSc qualifications in nursing in Colombo.

CHSL Deputy Chairman Rajkumar Renganathan (third from left) with Prof. Kathleen Burke and Linda Lewis. Also in the picture from left, CHSL’s AGM Marketing Samitha Hemachandra, Director Thushara Ranasinghe and Acting General Manager Tharuka de Silva.

The Valley Hospital and Ramapo College would provide the expertise for the development of the course curriculum, training modules and securing US and international accreditation for the proposed nursing school in consultation with the Ceylon Medical College Council, which is responsible for awarding professional nursing qualifications in Sri Lanka, CHSL Deputy Chairman Rajkumar Renganathan said.

“There is a serious dearth of good nursing care in Sri Lanka,” Renganathan said.

“We identified the need for more facilities for producing professionally qualified nurses when we ventured in to the field of healthcare with the Ceylinco Healthcare Centre, the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre and the Ceylinco Radiation Treatment Unit. The proposed nursing school we hope will help fill this void,” he said.

In Colombo recently for talks with CHSL were Assistant Dean and Professor of Nursing of Ramapo College Professor Kathleen Burke and Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Valley Hospital, New Jersey Linda C Lewis.

Professor Burke said the proposed nursing school in Colombo could be a pilot project for a global model that could be replicated in other countries where similar needs exist for training infrastructure in the field of nursing.

She said the model under discussion envisaged working closely with faculties and hospitals in Sri Lanka for clinical facilities for the proposed nurses’ school, the use of the latest techniques in e-learning and exploring two-way training opportunities in Sri Lanka and the USA to produce internationally employable professional nurses.

Renganathan said the proposed nursing school would also provide a meaningful alternative to school-leavers who miss university admission, and could pave the way for many Sri Lankans to secure lucrative overseas employment.

He said that Ceylinco Life’s current head office at Colombo 3 had been identified as a possible location for the school, after the company moves its head office to a new building now under construction.

Design Studio Manufacturing takes over factory at Awulegama

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) gave investment approval to Design Studio Manufacturing (Private) Limited to manufacture garments for the export market. The company intends to achieve this by taking over the factory located at Puttalam, Aethawa, Awulegama currently owned by North Western Apparel (Pvt) Limited.

Chairman/Director General of BOI Dhammika Perera presents the BOI Certificate of Registration to the investor.

Chairman/Director General Dhammika Perera signed the agreement on behalf of the BOI and presented the BOI Certificate of Registration to the investor at the BOI premises last week. The project represents an investment of Rs. 45.2 million and is expected to double the workforce from the current figure of 200 to around 400 employees.

According to company sources, the top end fashionable garments produced by this factory are exported to the United Kingdom. The company does not deal with Sri Lankan Buying Offices and works directly with its office in the UK. Locally, the factory works closely with six factories and produces about 75,000 pieces weekly. With orders up to September, the company is confident of facing the economic downturn with a positive outlook.

In addition to the UK market, the company is also eyeing the Eastern European market, such as Romania and Lithuania, where higher local wages and production costs provide an opportunity to Sri Lankan companies to enter and grab market share.

The company also has a workforce that is well taken care of, according to company sources. Transport via private buses and meals are provided to the staff while late nights are significantly less when compared to other factories in the apparel industry.

The somewhat remote setting of the factory, 37km from Kurunegala town, also makes it an integral part of the local community due to the number of employment opportunities created. Despite the difficult economic conditions, the continuity of the factory has ensured that hundreds of employees and their dependents do not have to suffer, stated company sources.

American Express offers free flights

American Express - the credit card acquired and issued solely by Nations Trust Bank PLC is launching a new value proposition targeted exclusively for Cardmembers.

American Express are offering free tickets to five destinations each month from April until the end of the year, to all their SriLankan Airlines Platinum American Express Cardmembers.

With two million FlySmiLes miles to be awarded, Cardmembers can look forward to being one of the five winners to win free flights each month to awarded destinations such as the UK, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and India.

Increased spend on the Card will offer Cardmembers greater chances at winning, with each Rs 10,000 purchase made on their SriLankan Airlines Platinum American Express Card, offering the Cardmember one chance at the lucky draw. Purchases of up to Rs. 50, 000 would offer the Cardmember five chances at the lucky draw, and so on.

Chief Manager Cards and Consumer Assets at Nations Trust Bank PLC, Lewie Diasz said, “This season commences on a value filled note to our Cardmembers as they have the opportunity to win free flights to key destinations.

With five flights being offered every month until the end of the year, this new campaign targeted exclusively to our Platinum Cardmembers offers unmatched advantages and privileges.

We are delighted to reward our Cardmembers with such premium offers - an added incentive that will certainly be of great value to our Cardmembers.”

All branches of Lankaputhra Development Bank (Colombo, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Kegalle, Kandy and Wennappuwa) were opened on April 14 from 8.30 a.m to 11.00 a.m for Ganudenu keeping in line with the traditions of Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Here, LDB Chairman A. Sarath de Silva offering a token gift in appreciation of the Ganudenu to a client. Acting General Manager Ranjith Dissanayaka and Manager Colombo Branch Anura Dissanayaka look on.