President directs Army High quality prosthetic arm for Law student

Sri Lanka Army on the directions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has offered a prosthetic arm to Achala Priyadarshani, the final year Law student, whose arm was amputated due to alleged medical negligence, after an accidental fall from a flight of stairs at her home in Urubokka.

President Rajapaksa, deeply touched after reading media reports on the incident, spoke to Army Commander, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya yesterday morning to find out Army possibilities of getting the young victim a top-standard prosthetic arm at the earliest since such prosthetics are exceptionally fixed on to disabled Army personnel as seen by himself among those residing at Army wellness resorts (Abimansala) and other places of rehabilitation.

President Rajapaksa at the same time told the Army Commander that he would ensure release of financial grants to purchase this prosthesis on humanitarian basis without any delay and wanted this need be done through the Army on priority basis.

Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, responding to the President’s directive, consented to provide her with a German-manufactured artificial arm which costs around Rs 3.5 million after immediately contacting the supplier in Sri Lanka.

The Army Commander in turn directed, Director Rehabilitation Major General R. V. Samaratunga to meet the victim at Colombo National Hospital and do the needful in consultation with medical specialists attending on her.

Major General Samaratunga, together with the Colombo-based supplier-agent of Otto Bock Company Limited of Germany, within an hour visited the patient and conveyed the Army’s intended supply of a prosthetic arm to her on directions, given by the President.

Medical experts on hand however opined that measurements for the prosthesis could not be taken as of now since her wrapped wounds would take at least two more weeks before complete healing.

The victim, expressed her gratitude to the President and the Army Commander for their deep concern and consideration for an artificial arm of the highest quality.

“Janadhipathithumata Bohoma Isthuthi Kiyanna”, she uttered in Sinhala before the Army team left the hospital.