Skip to main content

Mercy Malaysia hands over hospital in Sri Lanka

MERCY Malaysia today handed over to the local authorities in Sri Lanka a divisional hospital which will provide health care services to the people in Jaffna.

The hospital was reconstructed at a cost of USD259,707 (about RM817,947) using the Disaster Fund under the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.

MERCY Malaysia executive council member Dr Heng Aik Cheng said the hospital would be able to provide maternity care and primary health care for the people of Ampan and much of the population in the eastern part of Jaffna.

“Once operational, we hope that this hospital will be able to serve approximately 10,000 people from the surrounding areas,” he said in a statement issued here today.

The handing over ceremony was held this morning at the newly reconstructed building in Ampan, Jaffna.

Since MERCY Malaysia assisted flood survivors in the country through 11 clinics eight years ago, they had reconstructed the Sadat Primary School in Akuressa, Matara -- the first reconstruction project done by Mercy Malaysia -- where the assistance included the supply of tables, chairs, books and teaching material.

Dr Heng said MERCY Malaysia has since developed a volunteer-based technical team consisting of engineers, architects and surveyors who contributed their expertise to health-related reconstruction project.

They also partnered with a local agency, Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA), in implementing reconstruction projects and other relief efforts in Sri Lanka.

Both MERCY Malaysia and CHA are currently running outreach clinics and hygiene programmes in Jaffna, and have recently started a water, sanitation and hygiene project for the returnees settling in Ampan. - BERNAMA

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

GL SLAMS ‘COLONIAL’ RIGHTS GROUPS

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris rejected “colonial” criticism Tuesday of a government-appointed civil war probe, after foreign rights groups snubbed an invitation to attend. New York-based Human Rights Watch, London-based Amnesty International and Brussels-based International Crisis Group last week accused the panel of a cover-up and refused an offer from Colombo to appear before it. Peiris said in a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a leading think-tank based in London, that the rights groups had displayed a “most unattractive attitude.” “It smacks of an attitude that is almost colonial, patronising and condescending, the assumption being that other people must step in because Sri Lankans are unable to chart a course for their own future,” he said. Peiris, who is in London for talks with the British government, said the LLRC was based on similar reconciliation commissions in countries such as South Africa. He urged rights groups and

IRRESPONSIBLE TALK BY MEMBERS COST UNP ITS VOTERS, SAYS SAJITH

The voters have distanced themselves from the United National Party (UNP) because several members had demeaned the military victories during the recently concluded war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, said Hambantota District parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa. Former President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s son, Sajith was addressing a meeting at Gurutalawa at the Yatinuwara electorate in Kandy last evening to raise awareness on his Jathika Jeewaya Programme. Mr. Premadasa launched this programme within three electorates in the Gampaha District last week as well. Adding further, Sajith Pramadasa said the UNP suffered erosion in its support as some had uttered irresponsible comments when the Sri Lankan armed forces were gaining victory after victory in the fight against the LTTE. When the Army captured Thoppigala, some in the UNP had said that Thoppigala was only a jungle, while some had accused the then government and the military of claiming to be advancing towards Kilinochc

TNA vows civil disobedience

Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party on Saturday vowed to launch a Gandhi-style civil disobedience campaign to press a long-standing demand for regional autonomy for their ethnic minority. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in its manifesto for April parliamentary elections renewed its demand for extensive regional autonomy – after Tamil Tiger rebels who fought in their name were crushed last year. “If the Sri Lankan state continues its present style of governance without due regard to the rights of the Tamil-speaking peoples, the TNA will launch a peaceful, non-violent campaign of civil disobedience on the Gandhian model,” the party said. The TNA was a puppet of the Tamil Tiger rebels who were crushed by security forces in May last year after 37 years of fighting. The United Nations has said up to 100,000 people were killed in the conflict. On Saturday the alliance said it would lobby neighbouring India and the international community to ensure the island’s Tamil community -- 12.5 percent