Pictured left to right are Dr.Savithri Dharmarathne, Mrs. Ann Amaratunga, Mrs. Suranjani Wickremeratne, Dr.DimuthuTennakoon, Dr. G. Wijesuriya,Dr.Nirmal Marasinghe and Dr.  Sunil Wijesinghe

The Tarana Foundation - a non-profit organisation founded by a group of friends to improve the quality of life via improved health, education and housing in a sustainable manner, donated over Rs. 4.6 million worth Orthopaedic Surgical and Medical Equipment to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) Operating Theatre. With this donation, the children island-wide under the age of 16 years who have been diagnosed with orthopaedic disorders will have a greater relief of corrective surgery and treatment. The majority of children who are brought for treatment are from low socio-economic backgrounds as their families are unable to afford the implants that are needed. 

The children who are coming to LRH are with various orthopaedic complications and deformities from birth and trauma caused by accidents. On average, 85,000 children are admitted annually and another 645,000 children are treated as out-patients. The Hospital’s subspecialty unit of Paediatric Orthopaedic and Trauma was urgently in need of equipment to perform the full spectrum of paediatric orthopaedic surgery and treatment.

At a recently held media conference, Tarana Foundation Chairperson Suranjani Wickremeratne, and Co-Chair of the Restore Hope project Ann Amaratunga handed over the equipment and implants to the officials. 

The main objective of the Restore Hope Project is to provide essential equipment and tools to the LRH Orthopaedic Unit Operating Theatre. This endeavour will benefit thousands of children coming from various parts of the island who are on long waiting lists. The project target was to raise Rs. 22 million initially. The first phase of the project successfully secured essential surgical equipment and instruments which consists mostly of implants. 

“The main objective of the Restore Hope Project is to provide essential equipment and tools to the LRH Orthopaedic Unit Operating Theatre. This endeavour will benefit thousands of children coming from various parts of the island who are on long waiting lists. The project target was to raise Rs. 22 million initially,” said Suranjani Wickremeratne, Chairperson of Tarana Foundation 

In her comments, Wickremeratne explained that the Tarana Foundation set up in 2018 as a charity is supported by a group of volunteers focusing on supporting rural communities, mainly rural children with their needs. She said that Rs 4.6 million was raised during the first phase from local and overseas donations and thanked all the donors who supported saying that every rupee collected has been utilized to support the project. 

The Restore Hope Project Co-Chair, Ann Amaratunga explained how the project was conceived when she took her daughter to LRH, after having taken her to many hospitals. “This is not something that can be done individually and that everyone needs to help the Hospital so that thousands of children can have corrective surgery for a brighter future for them and their families.” She appealed to the media to carry the message across so that others who wish to support can either make a donation to Tarana or directly provide the required equipment to the Hospital.

The project assists children with complicated orthopaedic issues from low socio economic families to cure their deformities and disorders in order to lead normal lives

“This is not something that can be done individually and that everyone needs to help the Hospital so that thousands of children can have corrective surgery for a brighter future for them and their families,” said  Ann Amaratunga, Co-Chair of Restore Hope Project. 

LRH doctors thanked the project and explained that most corrective surgeries need to be done at an early stage to make them independent or else, the impacts could be lifelong. 

The project assists children with complicated orthopaedic issues from low socio economic families to cure their deformities and disorders in order to lead normal lives.