Kandy Times

The Kandy Health Services Trust Fund was recently launched under the aegis of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Kandy with a leading doctor there urging the public and business philanthropists to launch similar initiatives in other public utilities like transport or education.

Minister of Health, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and Provincial Council members of the Central Province, leading entrepreneurs of Kandy and senior doctors from the Kandy and Peradeniya government hospitals were among the distinguished gathering. An unprecedented Rs 5 million was raised from the first day itself.

The Kandy Health Services Trust Fund will be managed by three trustees who are respected and civic minded persons and well known in Kandy for their untiring work on behalf of the community. They have been appointed by the founder members of the Trust Fund.

Dr Gamini Samarasinghe, Dr Samad Ismail and Mohan Samarakoon will be actively involved in executing decisions made by the Trust Fund. Dr. Samarakoon told The Kandy Times that the main purpose of the Trust Fund would be to function as a support service to uplift existing facilities in the Kandy General hospital which services seven out of the nine provinces in Sri Lanka.

He said that although the money was collected at the launch of the Trust Fund, that would be the only time that they would handle money physically. The Trust Fund has 12 bank accounts opened in 12 different commercial banks.

Donors can deposit their contributions directly in a bank of their choice; the Trust will not avail itself of the capital but will utilize only the interest earned from the deposits. In this concept of Trust Funds, impressive benefits are derived by banks who hold large sums of money for indefinitely long periods. Dr. Samarakoon was emphatic that he would like the public to be actively involved in raising funds for the Trust. He said, “they are stakeholders and we hope to work with small groups in the community to raise awareness and instill a sense of responsibility in the people towards public services provided by the state. The people will realize that welfare facilities in the hospital will be improved, better bed linen and other essentials will be available, drugs and medical equipment when in short supply would be provided if there are finances available in the Trust Fund.”

He said it is imperative that the public understand that these improved standards will benefit them. Dr. Samarakoon explained that this concept which he had mooted had been enthusiastically accepted by those present at the launch and he believed that similar Trust Funds could be set up by other public utilities like the transport services, education services etc.