Ninewells Hospital entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP) to strengthen their efforts to fight malnutrition among some of the worst affected children in the country. The Hospital came on board as the ‘Healthcare Partner’ for the newly launched campaign titled ‘Feed the Child’ and will work closely together with SLCP in the coming months to provide nutritious and balanced meals to those in need on an ongoing basis.
Based on published data, SLCP has identifies several districts in Sri Lanka that are hard hit by child malnutrition. Of these, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura and Monaragala are the most affected. As the number of cases are expected to further escalate due to poverty and economic hardships faced by these communities SLCP has recognized the need for immediate intervention.
With the launch of the ‘Feed a Child’ campaign, SLCP aims to provide nutritional care to over 600 vulnerable children in Nuwara Eliya for a period of 6 months. Rs 36,000 will be allocated per child during this period, with each child receiving a monthly allowance of Rs. 6,000 worth of Nutritional care.
Expressing her views Dr. Thiasha Fernando, Director of Ninewells Hospital said, “We are very happy to join hands with SLCP and contribute to their initiative to reduce malnutrition among some of the most affected children in our country. While we are at a juncture where the entire world is struggling with economic hardships, as Sri Lanka’s leading woman and childcare private hospital we feel dutybound to lend a hand and make a difference in the lives of children who are the most vulnerable in society.”
Representing the SLCP, Prof. Guwani Liyanage, President, SLCP said, “We are happy that the cooperate sector is stepping forward to contribute towards a worthy cause. This program not only includes the distribution of dry ration packs, but more importantly the empowerment of families through lessons of self-sustainability. We have introduced one pot food recipes and are educating them on nutrition through focus groups. We are also planning to introduce home gardening, backyard poultry, vocational training and self-employment.”
Ninewells welcomes well-wishers and sponsors to donate through their ‘Hearts of Joy’ CSR portal by clicking on the link; https://www.ninewellshospital.lk/hearts-of-joy/. Those who wish to donate can contribute Rs. 36,000 towards the nutritional need of 1 child for a period of 6 months, Rs.6,000 towards the nutritional need of 1 child for a period of 1 month or an amount of their choice.
‘Hearts of Joy’ is the CSR arm of Ninewells Hospital which is dedicated to uplift underprivileged women and children in Sri Lanka. The foundation operates on funds donated by Ninewells Hospital and well-wishers to provide essentials such as food, clothing and educational material to empower disadvantaged communities in society.
The Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians is the professional body for paediatricians in Sri Lanka. SLCP was established to facilitate the advancement of paediatric healthcare in the country, influence policy decisions, support as well as sustain continuous professional development of child healthcare personnel and promote collaboration amongst paediatricians. Since its inception, SLCP has endeavoured to be a dedicated, dependable and responsible resource to the government and other stakeholders in all aspects related to the optimal care of infants, children and adolescents.