Singer creates ‘Thirst for Life’ fund to support Sri Lankan healthcare
Saturday, 21 September 2013 00:00
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Further strengthening its commitment to Sri Lankans’ quality of life, Singer announced the completion of a number of initiatives aimed at building a more sustainable healthcare infrastructure in the country. Through its daily interactions with millions of Sri Lankan customers, the company is able to identify the most pressing needs of the communities in which it is active, and leverage its marketing, financial, and logistical resources to meet these needs. The ‘Thirst for Life’ fund, for example, which collects Rs. 100 from the sale of every water filter and purifier, was publicised through a mass media advertising campaign featuring Iranganie Serasinghe, as well as through over 375 Singer Plus, Singer Mega and Sisil World outlets.
The seed for the project was planted when Singer discovered that many hospitals were unable to cope with the high rate of kidney-related diseases in the country, leaving many Sri Lankans without convenient access to quality treatment. Independent research confirmed that the majority of patients with such diseases who live outside of the Western Province were forced to travel to the National Hospital in Colombo to seek appropriate treatment, causing great hardship in many cases.
In order to mitigate this problem and make life easier for thousands of Sri Lankans, Singer decided to donate two dialysis machines, worth approximately Rs. 4 million, to the Polonnaruwa Base Hospital, as part of the ‘Thirst for Life’ project. The company handed these German-manufactured machines over to the hospital recently. At the ceremony to mark the occasion, the Minister of Health, Maithripala Sirisena, praised Singer for understanding the needs of the community and for living up to its responsibilities as a trusted corporate citizen. The donation of these two machines is just the beginning, however, as the company intends to continue this initiative to address the needs of patients suffering from kidney diseases across the island.
The ‘Thirst for Life’ initiative is just one of the mechanisms used by Singer to build a stronger public healthcare system. Over the past six months, Singer has taken on the critical task of renovating the Teldeniya Base Hospital, one of the busiest in the Central Province. The Rs. 1 million invested by the Company was used to rebuild and refurbish Ward 2 of the Hospital, which had lain dormant until the reconstruction, depriving thousands of access to medical facilities. Today, the renovated 25-bed ward is fully equipped with the equipment and amenities needed by the area’s residents.
Other community service initiatives focused on Sri Lanka’s healthcare infrastructure include the maintenance of the Lunawa Hospital’s Male Ward, as well as the construction and maintenance of the Maternity Ward in the Nuwara Eliya Hospital, which greatly reduced the infant mortality rate there. The company is also responsible for the upkeep of Wards 24 and 25 at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital in Kalubowila.
Singer’s initiatives are founded on the knowledge that a sustainable Sri Lanka needs a healthier healthcare sector. With the island’s most extensive retail and service networks, the company is able to keep a finger on the pulse of the country and respond effectively whenever it is needed. It’s little wonder that it is considered one of the country’s ‘Best Corporate Citizens’.
