Closing ceremony of the Oxonian Heart Foundation (OHF) Sri Lanka

The Oxonian Heart Foundation, Sri Lanka was recently closed, a noble endeavour that was spearheaded by renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr. Ravi Pillai. The objective of setting up the not-for-profit Oxonian Heart Foundation was to help men, women, and children suffering from heart-related diseases in the Northern, North Central, and the Eastern provinces.

With the remaining funds in OHF Sri Lanka, a few of the Trustees, namely, Dr. Naomali Amarasena, Mr. Ananda Atukorala, and Mrs. Jeeva Perumapillai together with Mrs. Shanthi Jayawardena Pillai handed over a cheque to the Trustees of the Heart To Heart Trust Fund, Dr. Rajitha Y De Silva, Dr. Aruna Kapuruge, Dr. Kumudini Ranatunga and the Chairman of Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka at the Chairman’s office, Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital. The hospital’s Director, Dr. Ratnasiri Hewage, Deputy Director, Dr. Chandraguptha Ranasinghe, and Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Catharine Sudarshan from the UK and Shanti Fernando, Executive Coordinator were also at the function.

The OHF – UK will remain and will assist cardiothoracic surgeons planning to go on training to the UK.

Dr. Ravi Pillai was a great friend of the cardiac surgical community of Sri Lanka. He was instrumental in training several of Sri Lanka’s current pool of consultant cardiothoracic surgeons, giving them refuge under his wings, in Oxford, UK. As Dr. Rajitha De Silva prepared to launch the Heart To Heart Trust Fund, Dr. Pillai became his guide, graciously sharing his experiences of setting up OHF – Sri Lanka, and sharing the fundamentals of setting up a trust fund as envisaged by the young cardio surgeon. As he looks back, Dr. De Silva is grateful to Dr. Pillai, who had stood by him like a father figure in those early days of the burgeoning Trust Fund. As a founder trustee of the Heart To Heart Trust Fund, Dr. Pillai will always be remembered with gratitude as an immense pillar of strength.

Dr. Pillai passed away on December 09, 2018. He was a great man who will be fondly remembered for his enormous service to Sri Lanka. In remembering Dr. Pillai on his birth anniversary in April, the Heart To Heart Trust Fund will continue to conduct a free heart surgery in Jaffna.

The Heart To Heart Trust Fund organized an alms-giving on Dec 09 at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital Nursing Training School.