Leprosy Hospital to be renovated by Lankaputhra Development Bank

Saturday, 17 August 2013 00:00 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The management of Lankaputhra Development Bank has decided to renovate the Leprosy Hospital in Wattala and provide the necessary equipment as a social responsibility project as the bank has a responsibility towards the community. This project was specially selected as the bank always wants to support a project not commonly selected by most entities. Under its 2013 CSR program, the bank selected the Leprosy Hospital and has undertaken the colour washing of four wards, repairing broken ceiling fans, providing cupboards for patients and renovating the name board of the hospital. Some of the recent CSR projects undertaken by the bank include assisting the renovation and protection of the Abayagiriya Stupa, taking children and elders from elders’/children’s homes in Polonnaruwa to worship Somawathiya Chetiya and assisting the renovation of the Kotte Vajira Children’s home. The Leprosy Hospital at Wattala was opened during the Dutch period and is about 300 years old. Though the hospital housed thousands of patients in its early stages, the hospital has not taken in new patients since 1983, as medicine to cure the disease was found by that time.  Unfortunately, there are 43 Leprosy patients without any hope for the future. Lankaputhra Bank undertook this project especially for them. Lankaputhra Development Bank commenced operations under the Mahinda Chinthana policy document drawn up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The bank is fully owned by the Government and functions under the guidelines of the Central Bank. The bank’s main aim is to be in the forefront in achieving the development goals of the country by supporting the development and improving the economy. In addition, the bank strengthens local production by supporting the SME sector by providing financial assistance at concessionary interest rates and thereby helping them expand their businesses locally and globally. In addition to providing financial assistance to entrepreneurs, the bank also has many savings schemes to support and encourage the savings habit of Sri Lankans. As Lankaputhra Development Bank was established to secure and strengthen the lives of the people in the country, the bank offers attractive interest rates and the security of a fully owned Government bank for people’s savings. At present, the bank has branches in Colombo, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Kegalle, Kandy, Wennappuwa, Batticaloa and Trincomalee and the management plans to open branches in every district covering the entire island to cater to its valued customers.

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