Address by the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka - Mrs Kshenuka Seneviratne

Mr Jai Lameer
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentleman

I am delighted to be associated with the Guy's Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Mission to Sri Lanka which has organised this event to raise funds for its annual visit to Sri Lanka to perform free heart surgery on children with congenital heart disease. This incentive by British medical professionals of the prestigious Guy's and St Thomas' hospital in London is a highly commendable project and demonstrates the enormous goodwill there is in the UK towards Sri Lanka and its people.

Mr Conal Austin and Mr Jai Lameer I know have been the driving force behind this annual mission of mercy which has saved the lives of several Sri Lankan children born with serious heart defects. As many of you are aware congenital heart disease is quite a problem in Sri Lanka. Although Sri Lanka has the medical professionals and expertise to perform heart surgery on children, our drawback is the dearth of sufficient specialists to carry out these surgeries. As a consequence of this patients are kept on fairly long waiting lists. We all know the importance of early diagnosis and surgery in these cases. Therefore the work of your team during the annual visits have greatly helped reduce the number of children on the waiting lists and in many instances saved so many lives. The work of this team is in my view an example to everyone in whatever profession.

Very often professionals in today's World are seen cold blooded mercenary but this team of doctors have demonstrated that they are caring professionals who are committed to their vocation to save lives of children even at their own cost.

I would also like to emphasise  the social dimension of this mercy mission. In Sri Lanka many children of affluent families are able to go overseas and have these surgeries performed. Very often it is the children of underprivileged families that are kept on waiting lists. Some of these families get into considerable debt to provide treatment to their children pending surgery. Your mission has therefore been able to save these families from dire financial consequences and to bring a ray of hope to the parents. I need not mention with what joy and hope a child is received into a family and immense pain  of mind would have to bear when they find that their children have a serious heart disease. This will explain the significance and immeasurable value of this mission.

The Government of Sri Lanka deeply appreciates the work of the Guy's Paediatric Surgery Mission to Sri Lanka and I  wish to add my personal sentiments of gratitude to Mr Conal Austin and Mr Jai Lameer and all the distinguished doctors and medical professionals for inviting me here today.