News
Sri Lanka donates 26,000 corneas to Pakistan military, strengthening humanitarian ties
The Sri Lankan High Commission in Pakistan, on Wednesday (20), donated 26,000 human eye corneas to the Pakistan Military to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army.Sri Lanka, renowned for its longstanding tradition of eye donation, has contributed over 93,000 corneas worldwide. This remarkable initiative, which had been temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has now resumed. The donated corneas, provided by deceased Sri Lankan donors, will aid in restoring vision to Pakistani military personnel affected by terrorist incidents, as well as to other patients in need, exemplifying the strong humanitarian bond between the two nations.
The handover ceremony, organised by the Defence Wing of the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society, took place at the Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology (AFIO) in Rawalpindi.
The corneas were officially presented by Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne (Retd), Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, alongside Brigadier Kaminda Silva, Defence Advisor, and representatives of the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society. The recipients included Lieutenant General Arshad Nasim HI(M), Surgeon General of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, and Brigadier (Dr.) Waquar Muzaffer, Commandant of AFIO.
Admiral Wijegunaratne highlighted the historical significance of Sri Lanka’s eye donation programme, tracing its origins to Dr Hudson Silva, the founder of the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society.
In response, Lieutenant General Nasim expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Military, and the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society for this generous contribution. He emphasised the transformative impact of this initiative on restoring vision and reaffirmed the deep ties of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
News
Cabinet aporives recruitment of Nursing Instructors for Nursing Schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media on Contract Basis
There are 17 nursing schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media including the postgraduate primary nursing school.
There are 142 vacancies in the posts of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) as on 31.03.2026 in those schools while 24 officers are to be promoted to the special grade on 31.12.2025 owing to the vacancies existing in the post of Special
Grade Nursing Officer (Education). Therefore, the number of vacancies is to be 166.
In addition, there are 24 vacancies in the post of Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).
Although at present action has been taken to upgrade the nursing schools to nursing colleges and upgrade the nursing diploma course to nursing degree course, no action has been taken so far to carry out recruitment for the training relevant to the appointment for the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to recruit retired nursing instructors and nursing instructors who served in the nursing schools belonging to the three armed forces and are retired or have resigned legitimately from service to the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) on contract basis.
Latest News
Signing agreement for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Sri Lanka
It has been decided to establish a BIMSTEC technology transfer facility in Sri Lanka by entering into a Host Country Agreement at the second leaders’ summit of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) held in New Delhi, India, in 2008, with the objective of enhancing regional cooperation.
The relevant cooperation agreement was signed by the member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC summit on 30-03-2022 in Colombo.
The prime objective of this technology transfer facility is to provide technology, capacity building, and management of intellectual property for the micro, small, and medium-scale
enterprises of the BIMSTEC member countries.
According to the cooperation agreement, an agreement should be entered into between Sri Lanka, as the host country, and BIMSTEC Secretariat for formalizing the legal status, privileges, and immunities of the technology transfer facility.
The drafted agreement has received the relevant institutional approval and legal clearance.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Science and Technology to sign the proposed agreement.
News
The cabinet approves agreement on mutual legal cooperation in criminal matters between the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea
Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 11-12-2023 to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka regarding mutual cooperation
in criminal matters.
However, according to the aforementioned approval, the relevant agreement could not be signed between both parties.
Through this agreement, opportunities will be provided
for mutual assistance to other countries in handing over judicial documents and collecting evidence for the use of criminal case matters.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution provided by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate in criminal matters.
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