Singer Sri Lanka in keeping with its commitment to serve the health sector recently gave a total facelift to the male ward of the De Soysa District Hospital, Lunawa which needed extensive repairs following years of neglect.

While the Company undertook to do the major repair work, the employees joined in and participated in a shramadana campaign painting the walls and beds, repairing broken equipment and fixing new ones, and cleaning the garden.

Repairs were carried out to the walls where the plaster was peeling off and the roof was done up. The toilets which were in a dilapidated state were completely repaired. New doors were fixed and new showers, wash basins and taps were fitted.

Singer also donated much needed equipment to the ward including a stretcher, a wheel chair, six ceiling fans, 10 mattresses and hot plates. Medical items were also supplied.

The landscaping of the garden outside has given a new look to the hospital after a total clean up. A grass cutter and a garden hose were donated for the maintenance of the garden.

The project which took nearly three weeks to complete, cost around Rs 750,000.

"Singer has always been involved with the health sector and whenever requests are made to provide facilities to hospitals, we try to do our best," says Commercial Director Mahesh Wijewardene who is in charge of the CSR activities of the Company. "Often we try to make it a long-term relationship by maintaining the wards that we repair and upgrade. We will continue to maintain the ward at Lunawa hospital."

When Singer helped the University Surgical Unit of Colombo South Teaching Hospital to set up a Laparascopic surgery training centre, the Company was contributing towards the future development of training in the Health Sector.

Among other initiatives, for four months Singer sponsored the Psychiatric Rehabilitation programme recently introduced at the Mental Hospital (Training), Angoda at a cost of Rs 400,000.

Several programmes have been initiated at the Cancer Hospital, Maharagama to provide additional facilities and to repair wards and equipment with the participation of Singer employees.

In the meantime, Singer Industries maintain Ward 25 at the Colombo South Hospital as an ongoing project. The ward has been refurbished and is regularly white washed and kept neat and tidy.

Ward 3 of the Kethumathi Maternity Hospital, Panadura is maintained by another company in the Singer Group, Regnis Lanka as an ongoing project. The ward including the furniture is painted regularly and repairs to electrical fittings are carried out. Recently all the non-operating ceiling, table and pedestal fans were repaired and five new ceilings fans and tube lights were donated. Maintenance work is carried out by the employees. Plans are afoot to donate a refrigerator, a television set and plastic jugs (one per each bed) when the next project is completed.

Singer field staff accede to requests for facilities to outstation hospitals. Recently, a washing machine, boilers, a television set, steel cupboards, tables and chairs were presented to the Base Hospital, Kantale which was badly in need of these items. At the request of hospital authorities, colour TV sets are donated for the benefit of visitors to the hospital. Name boards and directional signs are given for the convenience of the public who visit hospitals.