Young Vinitha, during a meeting in Polonnaruwa had reportedly met the President and pleaded for an artificial limb
Vinitha Damayanthi, a grade 10 student of Polonnaruwa Siripura Central College, was born without her right arm. During a brief meeting at the Presidential Secretariat she received an artificial limb from President Maithripala Sirisena. The president had earlier promised the teenager an artificial limb when he met her in Polonnaruwa, in December last year.
President Sirisena, who had released funds to the value of rupees 2 lakhs through the President’s Fund had requested the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake to get this limb fabricated at the army operated Prosthetics and Orthotics Workshop at Ragama (Ranaviru Sevana).
Accordingly, the responsibility for assembling this artificial limb was entrusted to the Director General of Rehabilitation, Major General Shantha Thirunavukarasu who responded positively and examined the feasibility of fixing this artificial limb on to the student before the necessary components were imported from a company in Germany. On medical examination of young Vinitha, the Prosthetics and Orthotics Workshop technicians found that the artificial right limb needed to be fixed to a special jacket, compatible with the function of the artificial limb.
Subsequently, army technicians on the direction of Major General Shantha Thirunavukarasu, finally succeeded in getting the limb properly adjusted to the physical measurements of the student.
Young Vinitha, during a meeting at Polonnaruwa had reportedly met the President and pleaded for an artificial limb.
During the donation ceremony, parents of the teenager and invitees of the family thanked the Sri Lanka Army for its concern towards this girl who has displayed her prowess in academics. The life of this rural student will be transformed, giving her hope for the future.
- Dishan