COLOMBO : Global Medic – Canada, through its local partner Muslim Aid Sri Lanka, donates 42,000 face shields to the Ministry of Health as its initial donation to aid the Government of Sri Lanka in its fight against the Covid -19 in the country. The face shield will be used by the health officers and other frontline staff who engage with Covid-19 positive patients. Both agencies intend to donate over one million face masks in due course.
The symbolic handing-over ceremony was held at the Health Ministry premises on the 18th of October 2021, graced by the Hon. Keheliya Rambukwella, Minister of Health, and other dignitaries from the Ministry of Health and Country Director of Muslim Aid Sri Lanka, Faizer Khan; along with other officials of Muslim Aid Sri Lanka.
Muslim Aid’s Country Director briefed the Hon. Minister about Muslim Aid’s partnership with Global Medic for emergency response, as well as its portfolio of thematic programmes under economic empowerment, education and WATSAN. The Hon. Minister commended Muslim Aid’s 15-year service in Sri Lanka and its efforts towards sustainable development.
Muslim Aid is a UK-based relief and development agency established in 1985 and working in over 20 countries including Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Somalia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Country Office was set up in May 2005, in the aftermath of the Tsunami to primarily address Tsunami relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation work. Muslim Aid Sri Lanka, as a relief and development agency, has been responding to the major emergency situations in the country for the past 15 years with the collaboration of government and non-government stakeholders.
During the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Muslim Aid provided over 30 million worth of essential life-saving medical equipment and protective gear to 12 key hospitals around the island to treat Covid patients efficiently.
Similarly, during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Muslim Aid supported thousands of vulnerable and daily wage-earning families through the provision of dry ration packs in a number of districts in the country. Muslim Aid also handed over hygiene packs to the Head of National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid -19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) and the Commander of Army General Shavendra Silva, to be distributed in selected quarantine centers in the country.
As such Muslim Aid Sri Lanka continues to engage in aid and relief work to reach the most vulnerable and daily wage-earning families struggling during the lockdown in various parts of the country. This project was implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Health, National Operations Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) and the Secretariat for NGOs.
