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Suwaseriya completes fruitful five years

Colombo District MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, founder of 1990 Suwaseriya Pre Hospital Care Ambulance Service said yesterday that it had been launched amidst various obstacles. He said so on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the ambulance service, which falls today (28).
Dr. de Silva emphasised that the infrastructure needed to be further developed to improve the service rendered by the ambulance service. Everyone had come to realise the value of the ambulance service due to the national health emergence, he added.
“Today, this service is celebrating its fifth anniversary with great pride. I salute all, most importantly the almost 1,500 Suwaseriya staff led voluntarily by Dumindra Ratnayake and the Board along with CEO Sohan de Silva; they are totally committed to this service and responsible for having developed it to the present level. It is very important to further improve the service. Therefore, on this occasion of the fifth anniversary of this service, I urge the government to study the future needs and take steps to strengthen the infrastructure facilities of this service. It will definitely be a very important social investment.”
On July 28, 2016, the 1990 Suwa Seriya pilot project was launched in Western and Southern Provinces using 88 ambulances, with a grant of US $ 7.6 million from India. Following the success of the pilot project, India again donated US $ 15.2 million to Sri Lanka to launch ambulance service countrywide. People of Sri Lanka are most grateful to the people of India and PM Modi for this gift.
At present, 297 ambulances of the 1990 Suwaseriya are operational throughout the country and is managed entirely at the expense of the government through the Suwa Seriya Foundation established by 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation Act No. 18 of 2018.
“The last five years have been five years of healing for the country. Such services do not exist even in more developed countries than ours. Anyone who has taken its service will definitely appreciate its importance. We have been successful in achieving almost all the targets set by us during these five years. I thank former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for supporting me in launching this service, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for taking this service forward as planned, Minister of Health (Mrs.) Pavithra Wanniarachchi and State Minister of Health (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle under whom the service is currently gazetted” he said.
As of now 903,438 patients have been admitted to emergency and critical care through this service and the average time taken to reach a patient in any part of the country is just 14 minutes and 28 seconds.
News
Pope Leo appeals for no more war in first Sunday address

Pope Leo XIV appealed for “no more war” in a message to world powers during his first Sunday address at the Vatican.
Reflecting on current conflicts, the newly selected pontiff called for a “lasting peace” in the war in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and welcomed Saturday’s agreement to end recent hostilities between India and Pakistan.
He said he was “deeply hurt” by events in Gaza, expressed hope for a “lasting accord” between India and Pakistan, and wished for a “authentic, true and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The Pope also recited the Regina Caeli prayer, in honour of the Virgin Mary, to the crowd in St Peter’s Square.
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May this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings – PM

In her Vesak day message, Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya wished that this Vesak celebration be a blessed one filled with kindness and compassion towards all living beings
The full text of the prime ministers vesak day message:
“It is an honor to extend my Vesak day message to all citizens of the nation during this sacred period in which Buddhist community across Sri Lanka come together to pay homage to the Lord Buddha, upholding both material and spiritual offerings and commemorating the threefold sacred events of the Lord Buddha’s life.
Since ancient times, the lives of the Sri Lankan people have been deeply rooted by the teaching of the Lord Buddha and this is a greater inheritance we have received through the Dhamma. In our country, where people of diverse ethnicities and religions coexist in harmony, the collective celebration of a major religious festival such as Vesak stands as a powerful testament to that unity.
This year Vesak day celebration marks the first to be celebrated under the current government, which was established with the vision of “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” I believe that this Vesak season is a particularly a time to heal the hearts and minds of humanity, especially as our nation embarks on a path of meaningful transformation. Through this message, I take this opportunity to invite all of citizens to unite in mind and spirit, bound together by mutual respect and compassion.
I join all Sri Lankans in praying that the flames of war burning in various parts of the world at this moment may be extinguished, and that all people across the globe may be blessed with lives of happiness and peace.
May all of you have a blessed Vesak!”
News
Special waste management programme launched under “Clean Sri Lanka” during the State Vesak Festival

Parallel with the State Vesak Festival that commenced on Saturday (10) in the Nuwara Eliya District, a special waste management initiative has been launched under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme to enhance facilities for devotees and ensure proper waste disposal in the city of Nuwara Eliya.
With hundreds of thousands of people expected to visit Nuwara Eliya during the Vesak Week, from May 10 to 16, this initiative is aimed at preserving the cleanliness and beauty of the area.
The programme will focus particularly on areas around the Gregory Lake, a key tourist attraction, and the Nuwara Eliya International Buddhist Centre, the venue for the State Vesak Festival.
In addition, the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative urges visiting devotees to refrain from bringing non-biodegradable material such as polythene and calls on all citizens to act responsibly by properly disposing of waste only at designated locations, while maintaining the sanctity and cleanliness of the environment.
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