11th February 2022 10:00:45 Hours
The 'Home' away from 'Sweet Home', the state-of-the art exclusive care centre of exceptional nature, the 'Abhimansala-1", more popularly called the 'wellness centre' of 'Brave Hearts' at Anuradhapura where more than some 50 plus dependent War Heroes are receiving life-time rehabilitation and recuperation, extended a warm welcome to General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army on Thursday (10) when he along with his spouse, Mrs Sujeewa Nelson, President, Army Seva Vanitha Unit made an unscheduled visit to the location on his way back from the Gajaba Regiment Regimental HQ at Saliyapura.
Brigadier Shiran Ekanayake, Commandant, 'Abhimansala-1' in the company of a disabled War Hero who offered a sheaf of betel to General Shavendra Silva and his spouse on arrival received them before both the Army Chief and his spouse made a beeline to indoor and outdoor areas where those differently able War Heroes were relaxing, playing indoor games, undergoing hydrotherapy and native treatment and all other recuperation practices which are not usually accessible to them if they were to remain confined to their own homes.
Showing his tender and fatherly care, he abruptly sat with them for a few minutes, spoke to them and joined playing carrom and chess with them while simultaneously inquiring into their needs and well-being of their family members, a gesture that came as a complete surprise to those disabled heroes who sacrificed their legs and limbs to better 'our tomorrow' before May 2009. Afterwards, he also visited the library in the premises and its wards separately where he also took time off to distribute special gift parcels to each of them, arranged by the Army Seva Vanitha Unit as an appreciative symbol.
After a while, the day’s Chief Guest in another gesture of goodwill and solidarity, symbolic of his concern towards those differently able War Heroes, spoke to the authorities there and reviewed the progress of their disability percentages, medication needed and saw for himself how those War Heroes are now little by little joining gardening, preparation of organic fertilizer and other outdoor work as a routine past time. The wellness centre, perhaps the one and only sanatorium-like facility in the world exclusively, meant for disabled War Heroes, is now well-equipped with most modern therapeutic equipment and all other accessories.
Assuring that this special set of people, some of who are paralysed, brain or spinal cord damaged, deaf or blind have not been forgotten, the visiting Army Chief reminded them of their unforgetful gallantry and invaluable sacrifices they have valiantly made in the battlefield in the face of ruthless terrorists.
The first ‘Abhimansala-1’ in this ancient kingdom was set up in a scenic setting by the lotus-studded Nuwara Wewa in Anuradhapura under the 'Brave Hearts' project of the ASVU soon after the humanitarian operations were over in 2009 with the prime motive of providing life-time care for those injured War Heroes who were in the prime of their youth some 15 years ago.
Ever-grateful to HE the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was the Defence Secretary at that time and Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa who was the President then, the Army taking into account of the needs of those totally disabled succeeded in erecting the first ‘Abhimansala-1’ in a state land of five acres, gifted by the then government. Similarly, all other three wellness resorts, 'Abhimansala 2' at Kamburupitiya, 'Abhimansala 3' at Pangolla and 'Mihindu Seth Medura' at Attidiya care for more than two hundred more such permanently-injured War Heroes separately, some of who are bed-ridden or wheelchair-borne or remain completely amputated.
The visit of the Army Chief culminated with the signing of the visitors' book before his departure.
