Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena expressed his gratitude to Direct Relief USA for its donation of life-saving medicines worth US$ 10 million to hospitals in Sri Lanka.
Speaking with the Direct Relief USA Emergency Response Manager Chris Alleway and Senior Communication Specialist Maeve O’Connor at the Prime Minister’s office in Colombo on Monday (26), he said the medicines provided by the Direct Relief USA will save many lives of Sri Lankans.
The Prime Minister said the health authorities would immediately supply these medicines to the hospitals faced with shortage. He pointed out that Sri Lanka boasts of an excellent health service with adequate hospitals and medical personnel across the country and the main drawback is the shortage of some medicines due to the economic crisis.
While the government took steps to import medicine immediately, such donations from friends of Sri Lanka would be of much help to fulfill immediate requirements, he added.
Emergency Response Manager Alleway said that Direct Relief USA selected medicines needed at Sri Lankan hospitals after close coordination with the Ministry of Health, Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) and the US-based Medical Help Sri Lanka Global Alliance.
Communication Coordinator of Medical Help Sri Lanka Global Alliance Paddy Dissanayake, together with the members of Sri Lanka Associations jointly work with various humanitarian aid organisations in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia and several other countries and obtained essential emergency medicines for Sri Lanka.
During the month of September, Medical Help SL Global Alliance in collaboration with Direct Relief USA donated several consignments of medicines worth US $ 20.3 million (SL Rs 7. 3 Billion).
Direct Relief has also dispatched emergency medical supplies recently for delivery to Sri Lanka, including 22 pallets of insulin in partnership with Life for a Child.
The insulin stock has been distributed to eleven hospitals and healthcare facilities around the country in coordination with the Sri Lanka College of Endocrinologists.
This shipment was an annual supply of long-acting insulin for 212 children and young adults under 25 managing Type 1 Diabetes in Sri Lanka..
