Sunday Times 2
JAT Holdings to build ‘Training and Simulation Centre’ to reduce maternal deaths
View(s):JAT Holdings announced on Wednesday the commencement of the construction of the state-of-the-art JAT Training and Simulation Centre to be set up under the auspices of the Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (SLCOG), to further reduce maternal deaths in the country.
Min. Maithripala Sirisena, Dr. Firdosi Rustom Mehta, Migara Alwis, Indika Chandrasekera, Joyce Gunawardene, and Dr. Ajitha Wijesundara at the media briefing
JAT Holdings is to provide Rs. 30 million for this venture through the sale of Permoglaze paints, a brand of Crown paints of the United Kingdom that is manufactured under licence by JAT in Sri Lanka.
“When you buy a litre of Permoglaze paint we make sure that Rs. 10 will be contributed towards this noble cause of saving mothers,” JAT Holdings Managing Director Aelian Gunawardene told a media briefing at the Hilton Hotel, Colombo.
SLCOG’s Immediate Past President, Prof. Hemantha Senanayake said that although Sri Lanka’s maternal mortality rate of about 35 for every 100,000 live births when compared with that of most other developing countries is highly commendable, “we must not rest on our laurels”.
“Sri Lanka is almost unique in that we investigate thoroughly every maternal death. We have learnt from these investigations that a sizable number of these deaths are preventable. The Training and Simulation Centre will help prevent these deaths,” said Prof. Senanayake who mooted the project.
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, World Health Organisation Representative to Sri Lanka, Dr. Firdosi Rustom Mehta, Architect Migara Alwis of Design Consortium, JAT Holdings Director Operations, Indika Chandrasekera, JAT Holdings Director Promotions, Joyce Gunawardene, and SLCOG’s Maternal Mortality Committee Chairman Dr. Ajitha Wijesundara were also present at the media briefing.