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Final journey of a philanthropist
B A Mahipala (1947-2022)
The interment of the ashes of B. A. Mahipala, a well-known philanthropist, took place yesterday, at Homagama, with the participation of his family members, friends and relatives.The Homagama Base Hospital was founded by the philanthropist B. A. Semaneris Appuhamy, back in 1946, who is the father of Mr B A Mahipala. He donated the land, and the purpose-built buildings of the original hospital, to the then Government of Ceylon. A statue of the founder stands at the entrance to the hospital, as a monument to the legacy of this admired son of Sri Lanka.
It was his youngest son B. A. Mahipala who set up the Bamunu Arachchi Foundation, 15 years ago, and began a programme to develop and modernize the hospital, his father built. Mr Mahipala engaged the services of the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau to draw up a Master Plan to develop the Homagama Hospital. He then went on to complete Phase 1, of the Master Plan, in two Stages. Stage 1 of Phase 1 is the new OPD and Diagnostics unit which was opened for the benefit of the public, in 2009. This was followed by Stage 2 of Phase 1, a 300-bed ward complex, consisting of Pediatric, Medical and Surgical wards, opened in 2012.
The development programme continued with Phase 2, a state-of-the-art operating theater complex with four independent operating theater rooms, an Intensive Care Unit and a separate High Dependency Unit. This complex also includes a central stores facility for the whole hospital, which was recognized as an urgent need to securely and efficiently manage the inventory of medicines, consumables and other supplies, in a hospital of this scale.
The total investment in this development programme, at today’s value, is well over Rs 500 million. Mr. Mahipala himself did bulk of the funding. He also tapped into his network of relations and friends to mobilize further funding to provide equipment and apparatus to upgrade the capabilities of the hospital.
Not only did he personally fund this enormous hospital development programme, he was closely involved with the construction, personally engaging with the medical staff to ensure their needs were met, as best possible. He was a regular visitor to the hospital, when he would meet and discuss with the hospital staff and keep a watchful eye on the upkeep of the infrastructure he had provided.
After leading an exemplary life as a successful entrepreneur, a remarkable philanthropist and a devoted family man, Mr. Mahipala departed this life on 25th June 2022, after a brief illness. He was 74 years at the time of his demise.
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
