CSR

Commercial Bank donates essential equipment to four hospitals

Four hospitals, including the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo, have been assisted with essential equipment under yet another community initiative by the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, ending 2012 on a compassionate note.

The latest round of donations began at the Elpitiya Base Hospital when the Bank donated nebulisers, glucometers, blood pressure monitors, and other needs to the hospital and installed air conditioning for its ultrasound room. The donation coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Bank’s Elpitiya branch.

In December, Commercial Bank extended substantial assistance to the Operating Theatre of the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, to the District Hospital Gampaha and the Base Hospital, Dambadeniya, bringing to a close its multifaceted CSR agenda for 2012.

The donation to the Lady Ridgeway hospital comprised of a range of trolleys and essential equipment needed by the institution.

The District Hospital Gampaha received surgical equipment for its Oral and Maxillofacial Unit, a portable micro monitor, portable LED light cure machine, tungsten carbide surgical bars and other surgical implements.

Commercial Bank’s final donation for 2012 was made on 20th December to the Base Hospital, Dambadeniya, which was presented with a twin probe cardiography (CTG) machine for its maternity unit.

“These donations exemplify Commercial Bank’s deep entrenched concerns for the needs of community institutions,” said Mr. Nandika Buddhipala, Chief Financial Officer/Trustee of Commercial Bank CSR Trust. “While our flagship projects are in the sphere of education with particular emphasis on IT and English, the healthcare sector is also an area of focus, as it is critically important to our promise of a better tomorrow.”

In earlier projects, the Bank has donated critical care equipment to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital and the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, provided bedding and ceiling fans to the Polonnaruwa Base Hospital and made substantial monetary contributions to repair wards at several other hospitals.

In the sphere of IT Education, the Commercial Bank has donated fully-equipped and furnished computer laboratories to more than 65 schools and institutions to date, benefitting more than 35,000 students.

Additionally, the Bank presents scholarships and laptops to 25 undergraduates each year. In September 2012, the Bank further expanded its commitment to the education sector with the launch of a national-scale community initiative to take English language education to children in rural Sri Lanka.

These efforts won Commercial Bank the award for the best CSR project in the ‘Education & Training’ category at the 2012 Best Corporate Citizen Awards presented by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

The Bank’s CSR initiatives are prioritised, planned and executed under the guidance of the Commercial Bank CSR Trust which was established in 2004. The Bank contributes 1% of its post tax profit annually towards the Trust’s projects.

Commercial Bank is the largest private bank in Sri Lanka, and operates a network of 227 computer-linked service points and the country’s single largest ATM network of 552 terminals. The Bank has been adjudged ‘Best Bank in Sri Lanka’ for 14 consecutive years by ‘Global Finance’ Magazine and has won multiple awards as the country’s best bank from ‘The Banker,’ ‘FinanceAsia,’ ‘Euromoney’ and ‘Trade Finance’ magazines. The Bank’s operations in Bangladesh comprise of 17 service points.