Inauguration of Sri Lanka’s First Paediatric Blood & Marrow
Transplant Unit at Apeksha Hospital
January 06, 2025
The SLAF, in collaboration with the financial assistance of the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Dewalaya, successfully completed the establishment of the first-ever Paediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Unit for children with cancer in a government hospital. This significant milestone was marked with the inauguration of the new facility today (02 January 2025) at Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama.
The ceremony was attended by the Honorable Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa and Basnayake Nilame of the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Dewalaya, Mr. Dishan Gunasekara, alongside members of the hospital staff and few inmates.
This initiative stems from a proposal made in 2023 by Mr. Dishan Gunasekara to construct a three-storey ward complex at Apeksha Hospital, utilizing funds from the Kataragama Dewalaya Fund. This gesture of empathy aimed to address the critical shortage of space in the children’s wards at the hospital.
The Sri Lanka Air Force extended its labor support to the project, enabling the expansion of the proposed structure into a four-storey complex, which was completed and handed over in 2024. The Paediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Unit now occupies the third and fourth floors of this facility, offering specialized care and a renewed hope for children battling cancer.
The Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, emphasized the SLAF’s commitment to contributing towards the maintenance of the facility, ensuring its sustained operation for the benefit of children in need.
Courtesy - www.airforce.lk