News
Australia and UNICEF deliver essential equipment for COVID-19 response to Lanka
UNICEF, with the support of Australia, has procured and delivered the second consignment of urgently needed oxygen concentrators and other vital equipment to the Ministry of Health in support of Sri Lanka’s ongoing response to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
This second consignment of equipment includes 203 oxygen concentrators, 100 oxygen flow splitters, 42 infusion pumps, 47 syringe pumps, four ventilators, 1000 regulators, over 137,000 bacterial and viral filters and other vital equipment.
Supplies were officially handed over to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella by Acting High Commissioner, Amanda Jewell, and UNICEF country representative, Christian Skoog.
The first consignment of medical equipment was handed over to the Ministry of Health in May 2021.
The Minister expressed his gratitude for this contribution from Australia towards the battle against Covid-19 and the macro healthcare system. The Minister stated that healthcare of the highest quality remains a mainstay of the Government of Sri Lanka’s focus. Donations such as these pay homage to that notion.
This critical support, funded by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through UNICEF, aims to ease the strain on the country’s health care system due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acting Australian High Commissioner, Amanda Jewell said, “Australia is proud to support Sri Lanka with urgently needed life-saving medical equipment in the fight against COVID-19. This is the second consignment of essential equipment that Australia has gifted to the Ministry of Health through UNICEF in response to the critical needs identified in the country.”
Australia’s overall package of support to Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 response totals AUD 11.7 million (LKR 1,787 million) and is focused on bolstering health security, promoting social cohesion and stability for Sri Lankan communities, and supporting economic recovery.
“This lifesaving equipment enables health workers to provide the treatment and care needed, not only for COVID-19 but also other diseases that afflict the population, especially women and children”, said Christian Skoog, Representative, UNICEF Sri Lanka. “Using its procurement expertise to deliver such supplies where they are needed most in a timely manner, UNICEF is glad to be making this important contribution to Sri Lanka’s response to the pandemic”
Among the existing medical service providers, the equipment will be distributed to: the Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura; Castle Street Hospital, Colombo 08; Provincial Department of Health Services, Ratnapura; Kethumathi Hospital, Panadura; the Medical Supplies Division and the Bio Medical Unit of the Ministry of Health. This will help sustain the critical COVID-19 response of the Ministry of Health through its various response facilities.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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