Continuing in its efforts to restore the vision of needy citizens in the country, Sri Lanka’s premier private sector commercial bank, Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) recently made a financial donation to HelpAge Sri Lanka (HASL) to conduct free cataract surgeries for underprivileged senior citizens.
The HNB Talawathugoda team, headed by Branch Manager Rajiv Gamage, made the donation to HelpAge Eye Hospital, Wellawatta to perform 17 cataract surgeries as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.
HelpAge Eye Hospital Manager Ajitha de Alwis accepted the donation on behalf of HelpAge Sri Lanka.
HelpAge Sri Lanka, which is the sister organisation of   HelpAge International, United Kingdom, is a non-profit charitable organisation that works to resolve the social,  medical and low vision issues faced by destitute Sri Lankan elderly citizens.
Gamage highlighted that HNB has always been helping the needy citizens in the country to improve their health conditions and social activities through their CSR initiative. HelpAge Executive Director Samantha Liyanawaduge highly admired the HNB Thalawathugoda team for making this invaluable donation to improve the vision of a needy section in our society.
He said there is a marked improvement in donations made by people and also private organisations towards the free cataract surgery programme, which has been conducted by HelpAge during the past 
30 years.        
Liyanawaduge further said that HelpAge expects more and more similar donations from prospective donors to fund towards the HelpAge free cataract surgery programme.  
According to HelpAge Eye Hospital Manager Ajitha de Alwis, 20 low-income elderly citizens undergo free cataract surgeries at HelpAge Eye Hospital every day and requested any needy elder to have their cataract surgeries free of charge at the HASL Hospital, located opposite the Savoy 
cinema, Wellawatta. 
de Alwis further said many Sri Lankans are now making financial donations towards this worthy cause to coincide with the birthdays of their parents, grandparents, children, wedding anniversaries, etc.