Health Ministry-Litro Gas bring ‘healthy cooking’ to limelight

Former Sri Lanka Navy Director General Health Services Dr. Nico Jayasekera, Dr. Rani Fernando and former Medical Administrator Dr. Sanath Gunasekera 

 In a bid to enable a culture of health-conscious culinary habits to penetrate into the wider social spectrum within Sri Lanka, Medical Services of the Health Ministry recently held a healthy cooking competition at the BMICH for the medical administrators of Uva Province attached to the College Medical Administrators.

Facilitated by Litro Gas, the event featured 10 enthusiastic teams representing numerous departments of the Medical Services of the Health Ministry competing for the top three spots. The event patron, Chefs Guild of Lanka, provided the guidance to the competitors and selected the three winning teams accordingly. 

With a solid background in sponsoring groundbreaking campaigns, the event facilitator, Litro Gas, backed this particular campaign in a bid to bring the neglected art of household culinary adventures, in particular healthy cooking into the limelight. 

“Our ultimate goal is to advocate a behavioural change in the Sri Lankan social fabric. It is imperative that Sri Lankans adopt not only healthy diets but also healthier ways of preparing those food items. We are equally concerned about the illnesses arising due to unhealthy way of cooking - especially in women, as the numbers affected are alarmingly high. We hope that this initiative will give the right momentum in that direction, with the wider society eventually finding inspiration through their health administrators’ journeys,” commented Health Ministry Medical Services Deputy Director General Dr. Lakshmi Somathunga.The healthy cooking competition aspired to reach out to more than 70 high-profile medical officials attached to the Health Ministry Medical Services representing more than 47 hospitals islandwide as well as the Health Ministry College of Medical Administrators. 

“It was inspiring to see the vitality and passion that the competing teams generated during the event. I believe the same enthusiasm will slowly but surely translate into lifestyle changes, which the public will also adopt given the rise in awareness on the subject of healthy eating and cooking habits,” commented Litro Gas Lanka Ltd Director Sales and Marketing/Corporate Affairs Chaminda Ediriwickrama. 

“Food is much more than just something that tastes good and fills up your stomach. What you eat can heal, cause sickness or even inflict pain. Cooking your own meals can teach you what foods are high or low in certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. It will even boost your creativity as you learn to combine nutritious foods to satisfy your palate,” added Litro Gas Lanka Ltd Marketing Communication Manager Nilmini Ferdinando.

The event participants comprised teams from a plethora of health units in the Uva Province including the hospitals in the Uva Province, Uva Provincial Health Department, past presidents of the College of Medical Administrators, council members, respiratory physicians, regional directors of hospital services, young administrators and divisional council members.