The Sri Lanka High Commission in the Maldives organised a blood donation program recently to mark Vesak.
The program was the first ever blood donation initiative, undertaken by the Sri Lanka Mission with the active support and participation of the Sri Lankan community and was sponsored by SriLankan Airlines and Bank of Ceylon.
The one-day blood donation program was conducted at the Maldives Blood Services (Thalassemia Centre) in the Maldivian capital, Malé under the patronage of the Minister of State for Health of Maldives, Dr. Shah Abdulla Mahir and with the participation of the Mission staff, the Country Manager of SriLankan Airlines Fawzan Fareid, the Country Manager of Bank of Ceylon Govinda Arampath and members of the Sri Lankan community.
The Maldivian State Minister of Health, Dr. Mahir conveyed the sincere appreciation of the Maldivian Government to the Sri Lanka High Commission and the Sri Lankan community in Maldives for this noble endevour in organising a blood donation program.
He highlighted the fact that there is an acute need for blood, not only for surgeries in hospitals but also for the considerable number of Thalassemia patients, who require regular blood transfusions, which is a matter of survival for them.
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Maldives A.M.J. Sadiq thanked the State Minister Dr. Mahir for his presence and patronage at the blood donation program at short notice and said that the event had been organised as a gesture of goodwill and friendship by the Sri Lankan community towards the Maldivian people.
He thanked the members of the Sri Lankan community and well-wishers who had volunteered to donate blood on the occasion to mark Vesak, signifying the Birth, Enlightment and Passing away (Nirvana) of the Buddha.
He also thanked the Country Managers of SriLankan Airlines and the Bank of Ceylon Malé, for their sponsorship of the program. The two country managers in their brief remarks pledged their continued support to the Sri Lanka High Commission in all future community related activities too.
The event was a resounding success and had to be extended beyond the scheduled closing time to accommodate the 65 volunteers who donated blood, far in excess of the 40 volunteers who had signed up for the program.