- Donates 100 special beds for 9 hospitals; SriLankan Airlines supports noble gesture
The Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation UK, together with SriLankan Cares, has organised a special donation of one hundred Patient Transfer Trolley Beds to nine of Sri Lanka’s most important hospitals with the intention of improving local medical facilities.
The Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation (www.amelieanddaniel.org) was established in memory of siblings Amelie, 15, and Daniel, 19, who lost their lives in the Easter Sunday attacks, the sister and brother of its Director David Linsey. The Foundation aims to improve local medical facilities in Sri Lanka and this donation comes as a part of this noble intention.
SriLankan Cares, the CSR arm of national carrier SriLankan Airlines, joined hands with the Foundation as the local CSR partner and will be coordinating the donation on its behalf.
“It is a moment of pride to see our work materialise on the ground. I hope that these beds will help those in their hour of greatest need and set a precedent for our future work. Thank you to SriLankan Airlines for making this work possible and for making me proud to work in Sri Lanka,” said Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation Director David Linsey.
“As the national carrier, SriLankan has worked continuously and played a key role in the recovery of the country’s economy especially during the events post-Easter Sunday. SriLankan Cares is continuing this good work by partnering the Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation in this most worthy effort,” said SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Vipula Gunatilleka. The Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation will provide funding for 100 Patient Transfer Trolley Beds to the nine hospitals and the donation is worth Rs. 6.8 million and the total funding will be by the Foundation. Twenty beds were presented to the National Hospital, while eight hospitals will receive ten beds each – Lady Ridgeway Hospital (Children’s Hospital), Negombo General Hospital, Anuradhapura General Hospital, Polonnaruwa General Hospital, Kandy General Hospital, Galle Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, Matara General Hospital and Kurunegala General Hospital.
SriLankan Airlines Head of Properties and Facilities Pradeepa Kekulawala said: “SriLankan Cares being the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the national carrier, shares national responsibilities objectively. When David Linsey of Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation approached us to contribute towards upgrading of healthcare facilities in the countries’ hospitals in memory of his departed siblings, we had no hesitation in partnering them as we believe that service to humanity is an important responsibility of the national carrier.”
The first presentation of 30 beds was made to National Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Hospital on 27 November with the remainder to be completed before the end of January 2020. SriLankan Airlines provided air tickets for the Foundation team’s first visit to Sri Lanka last in September this year and also supported its fundraising event in London in November.
Originally Published in Daily FT Healthcare, December 12 2019
