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Dialysis centre donated by Lions now open
“LIONS Kidney Dialysis center”, a state-of-the-art kidney dialysis centre was declared open on Friday, 14th January 2022 at the Colombo East Base Hospital, Mulleriyawa. This project has been the brainchild of the Past District Governor of Lions International, Lion Mahinda Perera, and ably assisted by Project Chairman Lion Susantha Caldera and Project Manager Lion Athula de Silva. It is one of the most impressive and challenging tasks undertaken by the Lions District 306C1 in recent times.
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest humanitarian service organisation which has its representation in more than 210 countries with a global membership of more than 1.4 million service minded people who have rendered their humanitarian services for over 100 years with the motto “WE SERVE”.
It is a known fact that many urban Sri Lankans in the Western Province, suffer from kidney disease, for which they need medical treatment from government hospitals, mainly due to the very high cost of treatment from private hospitals in Colombo. Cost of kidney Dialysis in private hospitals is not affordable to an ordinary low income citizen in Sri Lanka as average charges are Rs.8,500/= for one time treatment. Normally a kidney patient has to go through the dialysis process 2-3 times a week. Hence the charges per month will be approximately Rs.100,000 p.m. Further, due to this high cost, Socio Economic Impact of Chronic Kidney Diseases on the affected families are impossible to think of. The Majority of chronic kidney patients are still in the working and economically productive ages. As a result, the disease has a considerable impact on such a household’s income
During the last decade it has been observed that the occurrences of chronic kidney diseases and other renal diseases has increased rapidly. Given these critical circumstances, the need for a dialysis centre at the Colombo East Base Hospital is of immense importance. Hence the District 306C1 of International Lions Clubs decided to donate a state of the art LIONS KIDNEY DIALYSIS CENTRE to Colombo East Base Hospital, as part of their humanitarian projects. They have constructed the building for the centre at the hospital premises and donated all medical equipment needed for the unit. Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) came forward to invest in all the Dialysis machines, RO Plants, and other equipment. Total value of this noble project is around Rs. 45 million, out of which Rs.16.2 million was funded by the Lions club international Foundation (LCIF). The cost of construction of the building was entirely borne by the Lions and other well-wishers. The Ministry of Health and the hospital authority are responsible for maintenance and management of the this multi -million Hemodialysis centre
The facility was built within 21 months amidst several interruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the first phase of this project, the dialysis centre is equipped with 07 ICU beds and could accommodate seven patients at a time with a total of more than 25 patients per day. They aim to provide this invaluable service free of charge to the innocent kidney patients who are always dependent on dialysis.
The centre was declared open by Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella in the presence of Lions dignitaries District Governor 2019-2020 Lion Mahinda Perera, Lion Mahendra Amarasooriya International President 2007-2008, District Governor 2021-2022 Lion Amal Nishantha Pussllage, Dr. Priyantha Karunaratne, Director, Colombo East Base Hospital, Ministry of health Officials, Lions dignitaries , donors and well-wishers.
The remarkable generosity that was shown by the Lions towards this meritorious project will pave the way for the destitute kidney patients of the country to be benefited by the services of the Lions Kidney Dialysis centre for a long period to come.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
