Australia provides police with medical supplies to help fight coronavirus within its ranks

Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake received medical supplies from Australian Federal Police Senior Officer Detective Superintendent Rob Wilson

Australia has provided the Sri Lanka Police with urgently required medical supplies to assist in combating the COVID-19 spread among its personnel.

The equipment was handed over by Australian Federal Police Senior Officer Detective Superintendent Rob Wilson to the Senior Deputy Inspector General Lalith Pathinayake at the Sri Lanka Police Hospital in Narahenpita.

The Australian High Commission in Colombo said the provided medical equipment seeks to reduce the risk of further spread of the virus amongst police personal and to aid the Sri Lanka Police to continue to carry out their duties.

“Australia expresses solidarity with Sri Lanka in facing the impact of COVID-19; particularly as many Sri Lanka Police officers have been directly impacted by the pandemic. This medical equipment will assist frontline police officers in Sri Lanka to continue duties on the frontline responding to the pandemic, and protecting the community. This initiative continues the long standing friendship between the Sri Lanka Police and the Australian Federal Police,” Detective Superintendent Rob Wilson said at the presentation ceremony.

The High Commission said the support extended to Sri Lanka Police is part of an overall package of support from Australia to Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 response that seeks to bolster health security, provide critical food and hygiene items to Sri Lankan communities and support economic recovery.