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Viva, NBTS to 'Gift Life'
Viva, a brand of GlaxoSmith Kline Consumer Healthcare renewed its
partnership with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) to create
wider awareness of the importance of blood donation, give tribute to
blood donors and potential donors and highlight the presence of people
who are in need of blood in order to survive certain illnesses.
GSK Consumer Healthcare, Marketing Director Srikanth
Selladurai handing over the agreement documents to Health
Ministry Secretary, Dr. Ravindra Ruberu. National Blood
Transfusion Service, Director Dr. Ananda Goonasekera, Health
Minister Maithripala Sirisena and Health Services Director
General Dr. Ajith Mendis look on. Picture by Rukmal Gamage |
The partnership, titled 'VIVA Gift of Life' enters its second
consecutive year.
The 2009 VIVA blood drive collected 1000 pints of blood in a span of
12 days.
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena stated that many people are of
the opinion that demand for blood diminished with the end of war, but
the need for blood is a continuous and ongoing critical national
requirement.
National Blood Transfusion Service Director Dr. Ananda Gunesekara
said the National Blood Transfusion Service is pleased to partner with
VIVA as the energy partner.
This initiative will help create awareness and support our efforts in
this important need of the country, he said.
VIVA's involvement will span from the provision of VIVA energy to
those giving blood islandwide as part of official National Blood
Transfusion Service blood donor drives and the sponsoring of key
propaganda activities marking World Blood Donor Day on June 14.
The National Blood Transfusion Service on its part, will provide
skilled staff and medical facilities in order to effectively implement
blood donor drives and awareness programs.
GSK Consumer Healthcare - Sri Lanka Marketing Director Srikanth
Selladurai said VIVA enters into this agreement for the second
consecutive year in support of this worthy cause.
The need for blood is a never ending societal requirement and VIVA is
thus poised to act as a pillar to the National Blood Transfusion Service
as it aims to raise awareness and engage in critical blood drives across
the nation, he said.
The first step of this new partnership will be to embark on an
awareness drive, in the form of a parade, commencing from the National
Blood Transfusion Service headquarters in Colombo that will make its way
to Polonnaruwa on Friday July 30.
The procession will make promotional stops in Kadawatha, Nittambuwa,
Warakapola, Polgahawela, Kurunegala, Dambulla and Habarana along the way
to raise awareness of this national need. The event reflects remarkable
significance as it is the initiative to forming a 'National Blood
Force'. The day's events will draw to a conclusion with handing over the
'national Blood Force' decree to the honourable minister and also a
cultural show depicting the many diverse cultural backgrounds of Sri
Lanka at the Thopawewa Grounds in Polonnaruwa.
This event sponsored by VIVA, will attempt to highlight the fact that
no matter what the social or cultural background, all citizens of the
nation can contribute in aiding this national need.
Nokia launches mobile phones
Nokia launched the Nokia C1-00 Double SIM and Nokia X2 devices at a
recently held media conference in Colombo. The devices are designed to
suit two diverse lifestyles: the C1-00 being more apt for consumers who
can benefit from the two SIM device and the Nokia X2 for the trendy
music lovers, the device being the latest 'musical maestro' to join the
X series.
Models display newly launched mobile phones. Picture by
Saliya Rupasinghe |
The C1-00, a C series device, is the first Nokia mobile phone to
feature a two-in-1 double SIM solution, enabling the users to benefit
from reduced call rates, flexibility when traveling from one country to
another, and sharing a phone within a family and still use individual
SIMs. By holding down a key, consumers are able to switch between SIM
cards with ease. The C1-00 has the longest battery life in a Nokia
produced device and can last up to six weeks on standby.
With support for up to 16 GB of storage, dedicated music keys, radio,
digital music player and a 3.5mm AV connector for the headphones, the
Nokia X2 is aptly designed for music lovers. The X2 is also inclusive of
a five megapixel camera, enabling the user to capture clear images and
videos of friends and family. The X2 also offers direct access to
Facebook from the home screen and comes with Nokia messaging for email
and Instant Messaging.
Nokia's Business Development Manager, Abu Daud Khan said, "One of
Nokia's greatest strengths is our rich portfolio. We take pride in
offering our consumers a comprehensive portfolio of products and mobile
services catering to their everyday communication and entertainment
needs. Nokia believes each individual is unique and our portfolio speaks
for it. We are glad to introduce two very different products in the Sri
Lankan market which will cater to both the cost conscious and the youth
segment in the market.
Sri Lanka is a crucial market for us in the South East Asia Pacific
region and we are committed to offer value adding mobile solutions to
the Sri Lankan consumers."
Sampath Bank in Karapitiya
Sampath Bank Director Ranjith Samaranayake opening the
Karapitiya branch. Branch Manager Sanjeewa Ratnayake, Senior
Operations Manager Maheel Kurugama and Sampath Centre
Director S.P. Kannangara look on. |
Sampath Bank, opened their 141st branch at Karapitiya last week
strengthening their presence in the Southern Sri Lanka.
The fully fledged branch is geared to cater to all the financial
needs of the people of the Karapitiya area in their personal and
business requirements.
The branch is equipped with ATM facilities, internet banking services
to facilitate convenient banking access any time of the day.
The branch is electronically linked with all the other branches of
Sampath Bank, spread throughout the island, making possible real time
fund transfers and transactions even from the remotest part of the
country.
With a comprehensive product portfolio including several ingenious
savings options, personal, educational, home and trade loan facilities,
senior citizen's and children's savings, lease and pawning facilities,
foreign currency services, trade services, credit card facilities,
e-banking services and 24 hour banking services through automated teller
machine facilities, Sampath Bank is well equipped to serve any financial
or banking requirement of their customers.
NTB privileges to current account holders
Nations Trust Bank offers its current account holders a host of
privileges and benefits to execute their business transactions with
ease.
Customers are able to access their accounts through branches that
provide 365 Day Banking with extended banking hours. This provides
account holders the opportunity to perform their transactions even
during holidays. Additionally, account holders also enjoy faster cheque
clearing with extended banking hours. A Nations personal current account
can be opened with an initial deposit of Rs 5,000/- and a Business
Banking Account with Rs 50,000/-. Customers also receive a host of other
benefits such as Bank-At-Your-Doorstep service, Account Relationship
Officers and access to a 24-hour call centre.
Nations Trust Bank PLC is one of the fastest growing banks in Sri
Lanka today. Its market positioning of being the benchmark of
convenience is now ably supported by a host of financial services
products and services that cater to the needs of the individual,
corporate or institutional clients.
The Bank has 40 branches, nine leasing centres, 43 ATMs, six Personal
Banking Centres.
HNB at Kandy City Centre
HNB, Specialized Financial Services Assistant General
Manager R M P Dayawansa accepting the first deposit. HNB,
Human Resources and Administration Deputy General Manager J
R P M Paiva looks on. |
Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) opened the 190th Customer Centre at
the new Kandy City Centre (KCC) recently. The customer centre is located
at Shop No. L1-16 on Level One at the Kandy City Centre.This is the
second HNB customer centre in the Kandy town. The Kandy City Centre (KCC)
is poised to become a popular shopping mall in the Central Region and is
situated at the heart of the Kandy city with easy access from any part
of the town.
The new HNB Customer Centre at KCC will provide extended banking
hours on seven days of the week from 10 AM to 6 PM. The new Customer
Centre was opened by HNB Human Resources and Administration Deputy
General Manager, JRPM Paiva.
Mobitel SMART Recharge Bonanza
Grand winner from Galle
Mobitel, Sales and Distribution Senior General Manager,
Chandika Vitharana and Retail Sales Head, Pubudu Indathissa,
handing over the keys to A.R. Nilanka Sampath. |
The Mobitel SMART Recharge Bonanza seventh winner of a Maruti Suzuki
Alto Sportz car, for April 2010 was A.R. Nilanka Sampath from Galle. The
presentation was held at the Urban Council Grounds in Galle. H.M.R.
Kumara Herath of Mawanella, Nimal Hetti Arachchi of Andigama, A. P.G.N.
G. G. C. V.P. Jayasekara of Muruthalawa and A.R. Kingsly Herath of
Kurunegala were selected as the winners of Asus laptops with Mobitel M3
high Speed internet dongles for April 2010.
Mobitel rewarded their retailers at the same event.
Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel Marketing and Distribution Senior General
Manager Sales Chandika Vitharana said.
"We are proud to be here in the hometown of the winner to hand over
the seventh brand new car in this series of the Mobitel SMART Recharge
Bonanza.
Our presence in the winner's home town of Galle is an indication of
our involvement and commitment towards caring for our valued customers."
R. Nilanka Sampath, the winner of the Maruti Suzuki Alto Sportz car,
said: "I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mobitel for
making me the proud recipient of a brand new car."
Park Hospital unveils new facilities
Sarath MALALASEKERA
The motto of newly refurbished Park Hospital situated at 186 Park
Road, Narahenpita, Colombo 5 launched their new facilities recently to
provide quality and affordable medical services.
Park Hospital Chairman Dr. Sanjey Munasinghe said that some of the
new facilities offered together with upgrading of the existing
facilities are the pharmacy, laboratory, channel consultations, OPD and
emergency treatment, indoor treatment, eye and dental surgery, fertility
and the immunization clinics. These facilities will undoubtedly enable
providing better and a more efficient service to the sick and the needy,
he said.
Dr.Munasinghe said that channelling consultants has never been this
quick and easy. Park Hospital is one of the leading partners in
providing paediatric channel consultations with more than 15 consultant
paediatricians visiting seven days a week.
The newly re-launched pharmacy is stocked with a range of drugs and
other allied pharmaceutical products and is open 24 hours a day and 365
days a year. All pharmaceutical items are stocked and dispensed by
qualified and registered pharmacists in keeping with international
standards. A new feature of the Pharmacy is the door to door delivery of
pharmaceutical products which makes it convenient for the patients to
get their medicine delivered, he said.
The new Immunization Centre is managed by a Consultant Paediatrician,
especially assigned for that purpose, who provides an extensive medical
examination including development assessment of a child prior to all
routine immunization, in keeping with international standards. A full
range of vaccines for infants and adults is available and record keeping
storage, distribution and quality assurance are all carried out based on
international guidelines.
Dr. Munasinghe said one of the main inward facilities at the hospital
is the counselling and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Park Hospital
provides a service base for those afflicted with these disorders,
enabling psychiatrists to make early interventions and effect
appropriate therapeutic modalities so that any further deterioration and
subsequent stigmatization are thereby minimized.
Park Hospital has also introduced an affordable post operative and
geriatric care unit with round-the-clock monitoring by a medical officer
and the nursing staff.
Dr. Munasinghe said that another new feature at the Park Hospital is
the fertility clinic, fertility counselling, fertility investigations
and IUI - intra uterine insemination, which are all handled by senior
consultants in obstetrics and gynaecology. At present they are
negotiating with the world renowned Uppsala University and St Yorens
Hospital, Sweden to build a state of the art IVF clinic with Swedish
technology.
The mobile service of the Park Hospital has also been revamped and
open to the public 24 hours a day. This includes emergency treatments by
doctors and nurses, sample, collection, delivery of pharmaceuticals.
These services are limited to Colombo and the suburbs. The Hospital also
undertakes transportation of patients to any part of Sri Lanka, he said.
Dr. Munasinghe said with the launching, the Park Hospital has
introduced a Loyalty Card with VIP facilities and attractive discount
schemes open for the public.
SLA deploys messaging solution from Microsoft
E-mail forms the basis of the corporate-wide communication platform
for SriLankan Airlines (SLA) via which the company shares business
information and collaborates globally, connecting all 44 destinations to
which Sri Lankan flies. This platform integrates key business
applications such as Internet Booking, E-ticketing, online check-in,
loyalty member management, contact centre operations, accounting and
revenue management. E-mail is a key enabler for the Airline to provide a
world class service that exceeds its customers' travel expectations. By
deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, SLA is now geared to step up
its service quality -putting it far ahead of the competition.
From left - Microsoft Services, Technical Account Manager,
Ruwan Dissanayake, SLA Senior Messaging Engineer Chandika
Luniwila, SLA IT Infrastructure Network Engineer Indika
Wasala, SLA End User Computing Manager Pavitra Karunananda,
Microsoft Sri Lanka Corporate Account Manager Himali
Nawalage, SLA Chief Network Engineer (Desktop Environment),
Jeevani Jayalath, SLA IT Head Kamal Nanayakkara and
Microsoft Sri Lanka Country Manager, Sriyan D.S. Wiyeyaratne. |
A need to address the demands of its users and address the ever
evolving needs of information management, information systems governance
and compliance prompted SLA to upgrade its existing Exchange Server
environment. The solution was designed with Microsoft to cater to more
than 5000 users with an expected growth. "We realize high availability
and better managed mailboxes with very little maintenance and
administration, are the main factors we need to achieve from the new
e-mail system- based on past experience", said SLA Chief Network
Engineer Jeevani Jayalath "Exchange Server 2010 is more reliable, this
means that administrators have fewer issues to resolve and end users
have a much better experience," Jeevani said.
"SriLankan Airlines always looks at new technology and processes
objectively to improve the business approach with the intention of
simplifying the business for our valued customers. Hence we are geared
for the latest technology to be competitive. Microsoft being the
airline's corporate platform, it is timely that we migrated to Exchange
Server 2010 as a leader in the industry," said SLA Information
Technology Head Kamal Nanayakkara. "This was made possible as a result
of the decision taken last year to embark on Server Consolidation and
Application Virtualization at the datacenter, a project successfully
accomplished a few months back emphasizing the contributions of these
efforts towards reducing SLA's carbon footprint and cost of ownership
while bringing-in greater flexibility and sustainability" he said.
Microsoft Sri Lanka Country Manager Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne said
"The engagement between SLA and Microsoft started more than a decade
ago. Both companies have worked very closely during this period in
technology adoption to support the growth of SLA. SLA is destined to
grow and expand very rapidly in the future, as a long standing partner;
we believe the deployments planned for the future will help the
organization grow and maintain high standards in service which SLA is
renowned for. The upgrade to Exchange Server 2010 is another step in
this relationship to ensure that SLA is always a step ahead of the
curve. This upgrade is the first of many planned collaborations between
SLA and Microsoft which will take place in the near future."
ODEL relocates 'Delight' section
ODEL has relocated the 'Delight' section at its Alexandra Place
flagship store to an area with three times more space to enlarge the
offering to the 'foodies' among its customers.
The new Delight Department extends to 322 square-feet of tantalizing
food and beverage items and condiments that beckon to the young and old
alike.
New additions to the range include sparkling Blackcurrant and Red
Grape juice from Spain; a new range of biscuits, cereals and breakfast
bars; the 'Willie Wonka' kids' sweet range; organic tea, coffee, kithul
treacle, spices, cashew, and dried fruit in easy-to-travel cartons;
Chinese cooking sauces including chillie, fish and oyster; dried
vegetables such as Screwpine (Rampe), curry leaves (Karapincha),
Gotukola, Jak Fruit and Thumba Karawila and Sri Lankan chocolates.
"The Delight section always attracts people, from the genuine
gourmets to the curious. The range on offer continues to grow, and more
space was needed to accommodate this popular department," a spokesperson
for ODEL said.
The ODEL chain of distinctive fashion and lifestyle stores now
comprises 12 outlets at Alexandra Place, Kohuwala, Mount Lavinia,
Moratuwa, Panadura, Maharagama, Nugegoda (Warehouse), Dickman's Road,
Ja-ela, Majestic City, Crescat (Backstage) and at the Bandaranaike
International Airport. |