01st October 2021 10:32:50 Hours
The District General Hospital, Nagoda-Kalutara on Thursday (30) honoured General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff, Commander of the Army and Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID 19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) by inviting him to be the Chief Guest at its commemoration of the 'World Heart Day', organized in the premises with the participation of Regional Health Director, Hospital Director, Cardiologists and a representative gathering.
Dr Wasanthi Rathnayake, Consultant Cardiologist at Clinic Complex and Coronary Care Unit and Dr Pradeep Rathnasekara, Director at District General Hospital, Kalutara and its medical staff extended a hearty welcome to the day's Chief Guest for the annual event on arrival garlanding him and ushered him to see Cardiology wards and the Pathology Laboratory in the hospital premises where General Shavendra Silva left some compliments in the log book at the hospital.
The occasion afterwards assumed festive atmosphere as the day's Chief Guest and other invitees lined up to release hundreds of red balloons to the air as symbols of the internationally-recognized, World Heart Day which is observed and celebrated world-wide annually with the aim of increasing awareness of cardiovascular diseases and how to control them in the world.
A brief meeting that followed at the Hospital auditorium afterwards saw the day's Chief Guest was cordially welcomed to the commemorative ceremony by the Director, Dr Pradeep Rathnasekera before the Consultant Cardiologist highlighted the importance of the day in a brief talk to the audience. At their invitation, General Shavendra Silva in a brief address to the occasion gratefully acknowledged their efforts for a worthy cause and underlined the importance of awareness projects of this nature as the country too records high incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
Sticking to health guidelines, the commemorative arrangement was attended only by a representative gathering of medical practioners, nurses, paramedics and a few patients.
'World Heart Day' is celebrated on 29th September every year and aimed at drawing people’s attention to heart illness and the range of associated health issues, like heart attack, stroke, heart failure and any other condition, related to the same. On average, more than 17 million people die from heart-related illnesses every year. This is a more than that of the people who die from HIV, Malaria, and Cancer. 'World Heart Day' was launched in the year 2000 by the World Heart Federation and it has been celebrated on that day ever since.
