Monday (May 5) morning’s auspicious 10.05 marked yet another watershed in the annals of Sri Lanka Army and its Sri Lanka Medical Corps (SLMC) when HE the President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, vested the 10-storied state-of-the art new Army Hospital at Narahenpita, Colombo 5 in soldiers as a monumental gift, awarded in the ongoing Ranaviru (War Hero) Commemorative month which has just begun.
At the invitation of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chief Guest for the occasion, accompanied by Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence and Urban Development, unveiled a plaque and ceremonially opened the new Army Hospital after cutting a ribbon as members of the Maha Sangha began invoking blessings on the project.
HE the President upon arrival was conducted in a culturally-rich procession, typical of ‘Devol’ dancing troupes.
President Rajapaksa and several distinguished visitors soon after religious observances offered Pirikara to the Maha Sangha prior to the President and accompanying VIPs, lit the traditional oil lamp at the entrance to the hospital premises as a traditional ritual.
Registration of the first patient for admission to the new Army Hospital by HE the President next, signalled the formal commencement of the administrative function of the mega project which provides the best medical facilities in the region.
A little later, President Rajapaksa, together with VIP invitees, undertook a guided tour inside the ten-storied building at the request of the Commander of the Army and the Director General Army Health Services, Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe who explained each segment in respective sections.
President Rajapaksa and his retinue saw for themselves how the new MRI scan section, operation theatres, dental surgeries, different wards and several other peripheral units have been housed in the new hospital to be manned by Army medical staff, beginning from today.
A brief meeting that followed in the new hospital auditorium with 314 seats on the completion of the tour, saw the President being presented with the first cover and the stamp, issued by Postal Department as a symbol of remembrance of the phenomenal national importance of the project to the Army and all members of the armed forces. At the same time, President Rajapaksa left his signature in the VIP book in the hospital as another symbolic gesture of his visit to the place.
Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake in a brief address to the occasion afterwards commended HE the President and his government for their unprecedented and whole-hearted support to the well-being of Army personnel.
“No other government, I emphasize, in the whole world like the one in power, has done so much for the soldier community in Sri Lanka. Even powerful countries like the US with high gross individual income, have so far not been able to provide maximum benefits to all ex-servicemen, some of who are still seeking redress through various charities of those countries. Here we are blessed and get everything no sooner than we project the requirement to the government, for which the entire soldier community is indebted.”
The Commander gratefully recalled how HE the President, following the concerns expressed by Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the sub standard quality of the legs and limbs purchased for the Army, swiftly responded positively and wanted the best artificial legs and limbs in the world be bought for physically-handicapped War Heroes, numbering over 9,500 in the country.
“Instead of the projected Rs 500 million for purchase of those artificial legs and limbs, the President was so magnanimous to allocate Rs 680 million in excess, mindful of invaluable sacrifices, made by our War Heroes. Sir, you wanted to get the best things in the world for children once, I remember. In the same line of thinking, you got the best for our physically-handicapped War Heroes and this could be the only country that set apart the highest votes for the welfare of the soldier community,” the Commander commended.
The enormous sense of gratitude both the President as well as the Secretary Defence attaches to the War Hero is reflective of the Buddha’s great teachings in this month of Vesak which has also been attributed to the honour of War Heroes during the ongoing ‘Ranaviru’ commemorative month, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake added.
The Commander, spelling out the string of medical benefits the new Army Hospital would offer to the War Hero, added that the new Army Hospital would enable new research facilities for conduct of most sophisticated and smooth operations on multiple disabilities of the War Heroes.
Fully optimistic of the forward-march of the new hospital, the Commander told the gathering that War Heroes in the future, too are dedicated to the protection of the country at the expense of their own lives and would perform their duties in a more vigorous manner when they become fully contended with mental and physical health facilities they and their families receive through hospitals of this standard.
“Taking note of Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s special attachment to the environmental concerns, the hospital milieu was prepared to offer solace to the naked-eye and everyone both at mental and physical levels. This will therefore be a stimulant to the War Heroes. Once mental peace and tranquility work in a soldier, he could perform his duties more diligently for the betterment of our society since he becomes confident that his family had been well taken care of,” the Commander underlined.
Before conclusion of his speech to the occasion Lieutenant General Ratnayake did not forget to pay a glowing tribute to all those who sweated and cooperated to make the project a resounding success, including hardworking troops of the Engineer Service Regiment, President’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Indigenous Medicine, Office of the Chief Minister, Chief of Defence Staff and all in the Army.
Minister of Health, Deputy Minister of Health, Governors for Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces, Mr Prasanna Ranatunge, Chief Minister for Western Province, Mr Lalith Weeratunge, Secretary to the President, Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence and Urban Development, Dr Nihal Jayatillake, Secretary to Ministry to Health, Major General (Retd) Nanda Mallawarachchi, Secretary to Ministry of Law and Order, Mr Gamini Senarath, Chief of Staff, Office of the President’s Staff, Chief of Defence Staff, Navy and Air Force Commanders, former Commanders, senior officers and a large gathering of invitees, were present at the opening ceremony.
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