The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary, Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera donated over Rs.7 million to purchase a COVID-19 virus detection unit which will facilitate sequencing purposes at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine.

The Dean of the Medicine Faculty of Peradeniya University, Prof. Asiri Abeyagunawardena, thanked the BBS General Secretary for finding a donor to get this equipment worth over Rs.7 million.

He said the prelate's support will result in the strengthening of not only COVID-19 surveillance activities, but the surveillance of many other infectious diseases too. 

We will update about the details of the purchase of this equipment and the facilities it will provide, the university Dean said in a statement.

"Ven. Gnanasara's highest generosity will be a huge boost to overcome the current pandemic situation. We all take this opportunity to wish him sound health and wellbeing during this pandemic situation which the entire world is faced with, "he said.

Meanwhile, Ven. Gnanasara Thera said the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant across the country and the need of a unit to detect the new strains of the virus has become acute in Kandy area.

Dr. Walter Jayasinghe, a US resident who donated the necessary funds to the University of Peradeniya to procure this unit worth over Rs. 7 million, conveying the message through Ven. Gnanasara by Buddha Sasana Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Gunawardena

The prelate stressed that we should not wait for the government to do what needed to control the virus and present ourselves to do what we can and work together as a nation to come out of this pandemic era. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)