17th February 2022 09:03:21 Hours
The capping ceremony of 50 nurses who completed the three-year long professional Diploma training course in general nursing at Anuradhapura Military Nursing School (MNS) which caters to the needs of the tri forces took place recently at Anuradhapura Central College auditorium in the presence of the Director Nursing Education of the Ministry of Health, Director, Army Medical Services Brigadier K.P.N Pathirana and several other Senior Tri Service Officers.
Civil student nurses, recruited by the Ministry of Health are generally trained at Anuradhapura MNS in affiliation with the Government Schools of Nursing, Ministry of Health, Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital medical staff and qualified Army Academic Staff for Nursing and Health since its founding. The 2018 Batch of 50 Nurses, females and males thus completed their Diploma after three years of training received their caps in this ceremony symbolizing their authority before they disperse to assume duties in island-wide military hospitals.
Brigadier K.P.N Pathirana, Director, Army Medical Services graced the final capping ceremony as the Chief Guest where parents and well-wishers of the nursing graduates too joined the ceremony, held at Anuradhapura Central College auditorium. The Army-initiated own MNS was established in the year 2001 and military nursing officers for all the three forces, Army, Navy and Air Force before its were earlier trained at Government Nursing Schools of the Ministry of Health before 2001.
In his brief address to the occasion, Brigadier Pathirana commended the role of the MNS, its Principal and dedicated tutors and non-academic staff and its efforts to groom well-qualified and disciplined nursing staff to the armed forces.
The Principal, Major (Qm) K.A Sarathchandra gratefully acknowledged the sustained support, being given by the Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva, ARTRAC Commander, Directorate of Army Training, Colonel Commandant-SLAMC, Director Army Medical Services and other contributors for success of the training course, conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.
The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLAMC) Regimental Centre, Directorate of Army Training, Army Training Command (ARTRAC) Headquarters, Directorate of Army Medical Services and the Ministry of Health closely supervised the three-year long Diploma training course. The theoretical course work and clinical training programmers are conducted by qualified Army academic staff and health experts at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital during the three-year long Diploma course. Those student nurses after the successful completion of the first year examination, held by the Ministry of Health are crowned with the professional cap and they afterwards qualify to take the oath bearing an oil lamp with three flames before a distinguished audience on the same occasion.
Dr N.C. D Ariyarathna, Regional Director Medical Services, Anuradhapura, Dr D.M.S Samaraweera, Director, Teaching Hospital, Anuradhapura, Mr. K.A Sunil Shantha, Principal, Government Nursing College at Anuradhapura, invitees and several Officers were present at the capping ceremony, adhering to health guidelines.
Lieutenant General Lionel P Balagalla, former Commander of the Army, Major General K.D.P Perera, former Colonel Commandant-SLAMC, Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, former Director of the Army Medical Services, Ms M. Paul, First Principal of the MNS and Captain W.W. P Jayasundara, First Administrative Officer were among those who pioneered in establishing the Military Nursing School of the Army way back in the year 2001.
