Through their Hearts of Joy CSR Foundation, Ninewells Hospital recently handed over a contribution of over 2.2 million rupees to the ‘Feed a Child’ initiative by the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians.
The donation will provide vital support to 62 newborn babies in the Anuradhapura district who have been identified as malnourished and in need of urgent assistance, over the next 6 months.
Speaking on the occasion, Tharanga Weerasuriya, General Manager, Ninewells Hospital said, “We are indeed honoured to be a part of this worthy cause and to partner with the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians to fight child malnutrition in Sri Lanka. Proper nutrition is essential for the growth and development of children, and we are proud to be able to contribute to the health and well-being of children in the Anuradhapura District. We would like to thank our well-wishers both local and international for their support and generous contributions.”
The ‘Feed a Child’ Campaign was launched with the objective of combatting malnutrition among children in Sri Lanka and Ninewells Hospital joined hands with the initiative as the ‘Official Healthcare Partner’ last year. Ninewells Hospital made a contribution of an equal value to the total collected by well-wishers to double the final donation amount.
Also expressing her views, Prof. Guwani Liyanage, President, Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians said, “The Feed a Child initiative focuses on children with severe acute malnutrition. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ninewells Hospital for their generous contribution towards the initiative. The donation will go a long way in ensuring that the children in the Anuradhapura district receive the proper nutrition they need to grow and thrive.”
‘Hearts of Joy’ is the CSR arm of Ninewells Hospital which is dedicated to uplifting underprivileged women and children in Sri Lanka. The foundation operates on funds donated by Ninewells Hospital and well-wishers to provide essentials such as food, clothing and educational material to empower disadvantaged communities in society.
The Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians is the professional body for paediatricians in Sri Lanka. SLCP was established to facilitate the advancement of paediatric healthcare in the country, influence policy decisions, support as well as sustain continuous professional development of child healthcare personnel and promote collaboration amongst paediatricians. Since its inception, SLCP has endeavoured to be a dedicated, dependable and responsible resource to the government and other stakeholders in all aspects related to the optimal care of infants, children and adolescents.
Photo Caption – (Left to Right) Mr. Shamal Perera, Non Executive Director, Access Group of Companies; Dr. Vibash Wijeratne, Chief Operations Officer and Director, Ninewells Hospital; Dr. Thiasha Fernando, Director, Ninewells Hospital; Prof. Guwani Liyanage, President, SLCP, Prof. Deepthi Samarage, Treasurer, SLCP; and Dr. Nalin C. Kithulwatta, Council Member, SLCP.
