Rotary Sri Lanka and SLSI launch Covid-19 prevention certification program for SL businesses

By Hiran H.Senewiratne 

Rotary Sri Lanka has  initiated a certification program, along with the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI),   for businesses to introduce into their institutions new health protocols required to combat the Covid 19 pandemic. Micro, small, medium and large scale businesses in the country are included in the program, Rtn. Ajith Weerasinghe, District Governor 2020-21, RI District:3220, Sri Lanka & Maldives said.

‘SLSI  got the best brains to develop the standards that led to the first-ever certification protocols for COVID protection being launched in the country to create a “Covid Control Environment”  in keeping with the  theme “Stop The Spread”, Weerasinghe told The Island Financial Review.     

Weerasinghe added – ‘Rotary then diffused the idea and certified more than 250 entities, including schools, supermarkets, hotels and top tea brands, global health and nutrition companies, international rubber organisations, the apparel sector and hotels, which quantified the contribution of Rotary during the pandemic. ‘The  recent spike we see in Sri Lanka is very worrying given the new strand we see in countries like India. We cannot afford another lockdown like last year. We have to stop the spread by regulating our behaviour.

‘Rotary consists also of the youth arm Rotaract  and 70 clubs took the initiative to promote this “Stop the Spread ” programme in Sri Lanka targeting the SME sector in the country.    

‘Any business entity could apply for the certification, which introduces stringent guidelines for the company to prevent the Covid 19 disease. The investment for this certification  is from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 300,000 based on the size of the entity.  

‘We started the  “Stop the Spread” programme in April last year soon after the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic and in June we were able to launch the certification programme with the assistance of SlSI.

‘Last year during the Covid 19 pandemic days Rotary Club had contributed Rs. 250 million worth of medical equipment to the Medical Research Institute  and also provided the most sophisticated Covid Detection Analytical Machine, which is worth more than Rs. 120 million.

‘From 1993 to 2020, Rotary International’s donation arm, Rotary Foundation, contributed Rs. four billion for various projects in Sri Lanka. It also took steps to eradicate polio from the globe by 2025.

‘Rotary International  has been ranked the best financial management institution for the eighth consecutive year in the world and has spread through 200 countries. It has 35000 clubs with  1.2 million members globally.’