Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake said the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) inspired people of Sri Lankan origin outside Sri Lanka to undertake an important journey towards harmony, peace, prosperity in Sri Lanka with its people, and with the government through the project that they initiated to assist the disaster affected people in Sri Lanka.
He was addressing the gathering at the ceremony held on July 11 at the Foreign Affairs Ministry to felicitate the Sarvodaya Movement and the 17 Sri Lankan medical professionals who are members of the GTF from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Norway, the United States, France, Bahrain, and Germany worked in partnership with the Sarvodaya alongside local doctors in the Kalutara district from July 2 to 6 and in the Matara district from July 7 to 10 to provide relief to the flood affected in the country.
Approximately 780 patients were provided with medical, dental and ophthalmological treatment that included a children’s home and orphanage. Three hundred pairs of reading glasses and sunglasses were gifted to people.
Minister Karunanayake appreciated the doctors for assisting the flood affected communities, while helping to build bridges between communities in Sri Lanka with the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement that has been in the forefront of social service and reconciliation efforts, working tirelessly to bring communities together.
The Minister acknowledged and appreciated the support extended to the programme by the Governments of Norway and Switzerland and by UNICEF.
He thanked Health Minister Rajitha Seneratne and officials of his Ministry for facilitating the project at short notice, enabling the doctors to carry out their work in accordance with the Medical Council regulations.
Recalling the Chinese proverb “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”, Minister Karunanayake said this important step would serve as the first in the important journey of sustaining peace and economic progress in the country together with Sri Lankans overseas.
Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Rajitha Senaratne, Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister D.M. Swaminathan, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, and MP M.A. Sumanthiran, representatives from diplomatic Missions of Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Norway, the UK, the US, South Africa, Switzerland, and the USAID participated.
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