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අනුරාධපුර නුවර වැව ඉස්‌මත්තේ ඉදිකළ ප්‍රථම “අභිමංසල” රණවිරු සුවහස නිකේතනයේ නිරීක්ෂණ චාරිකාවක පැමිණ රණවිරුවන්ගේ සුවදුක් විමසු මා, එහි පැමිණි ප්‍රථම තනාපති ලෙස සටහන් පොතෙහි අත්සන් තැබීමට ලැබීම භාගයක් ලෙස සලකමි.

Anuradhapura ‘Abimansala’ for Dependent War Heroes Opened; President Impressed with Its Facilities
‘One of the most valuable qualities of a commander is a flair for putting himself in the right place at the vital time’ – Field Marshal Viscount Slim.

The state of the art, ‘Abimansala’ (wellness resort), on the banks of the ancient Nuwara Wewa in Anuradhapura, exclusively designed to house dependent Army War Heroes for the rest of their life-span, was ceremonially vested in disable warriors by His Excellency, the President Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning (26) at the request of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces whole-heartedly supported the need for establishment of such wellness resorts for rest and recreation of those permanently disable War Heroes, as projected by the Secretary Defence Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Commander of the Army, and swiftly allocated this picturesque 5 acre state land, adjoining the Anuradhapura, Nuwarawewa for this noble cause.

Equipped with the best of most modern technology that suit physical and psychological needs and well-being of 52 disable War Heroes whose untiring battlefield sacrifices, saw an end to the country’s three-decade long terrorism, the mega ‘Abimansala’ complex at Anuradhapura, serves a fitting tribute, conceptualized by Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army. The Army’s, ‘Brave Hearts’ theme fund-raiser, vigorously executed by the Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB), presided by Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya found necessary resources for its completion.

The Anuradhapura wellness centre, quite identical to the recently-opened sanatorium-type ‘Mihindu Seth Medura’, the first of its kind in Asia or perhaps in the whole world, initiated by Secretary Defence on Attidiya Road for the same purpose of accommodating permanently disable tri-service War Heroes, is comprised of separate wings and units for hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, psychology, medical laboratory testing, X-Ray facility, recreation, sports, spa, internet facility, religious faiths, indoor games, entertainment, library, medical and clinical counseling, film watching, rehabilitation, swimming, dining, residential purposes, administration and outdoor activities, etc, in addition to five separate large residential quarters, reserved for family members of the inmates at ‘Abimansala’ and cost the Army about Rs 200 million, though the original estimated expenditure was reduced by nearly Rs 23 million on completion.

President Rajapaksa, received warmly by the brainchild of the project, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army and Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya, President SVAB, was conducted to the entrance to the complex to unveil the plaque that symbolizes the brief history, surrounding the birth of the ‘Abimansala’. At the end of the welcome procession, the Commandant and the Chief Medical Officer, expected to serve at the new ‘Abimansala’ were introduced to the visiting President cum Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by the Commander of the Army.

As the auspicious minute struck, the President as Chief Guest on the occasion unveiled the plaque on the main building and cut a ribbon as a token of inauguration of the project amidst Pirith chanting of the Maha Sangha. The Chief Guest’s opening of the main building coincided simultaneously with the inauguration of all other new villas, cottages and wings, sponsored or constructed by different donors after boiling milk and traditional oil-lamp lighting. Many representative donors and sponsors took part in the ritual at the same time as Pirith chanting was in progress, headed by Ven Pallegama Siri Sumana Dhammarakkitha Siri Nivasa Thero, Chief Incumbent for Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and Atamasthanaya.

President Rajapaksa after offer of ‘Pirikara’ to members of the Maha Sangha next, symbolically registered the first resident dependent War Hero to be admitted to the wellness resort, selected from the Anuradhapura region. Later on, the President, Ministers, Secretary to President, Secretary Defence and other VIPs at the invitation of the Commander of the Army, made a walking tour in the premises, enabling the President and other distinguished invitees to receive a broader view of the entire compound. A brief spectacle, supplemented with a special display of Water Ballet skills and other cultural feats brought the day’s opening ceremony to an end.

Statistics show that approximately 300 War Heroes in the Army turned totally dependent and disable due to multiple injuries sustained during fighting against separatist terrorists. Those incurable injuries range from brain damage or paralysis, spinal cord, amputations, impaired hearing, vision and speech defects, psychological imbalance, loss of legs and limbs, yet ambulant with assistance, vertigo, loss of memory and suchlike and warrant 24 hour surveillance. Commander of the Army, well aware of the limited opportunities available at their home-fronts for such caring and therapy took an enormous interest in realization of the arduous task with determination and dedication.

Receiving overwhelming financial and material support from island-wide and international philanthropists, donors and all the Army Regiments, the project was successfully completed, earlier than planned, thanks to the unstinted backing received for infrastructure, planning and construction by hundreds of War Heroes of 2 Engineer Services Regiment, Corps of Engineers and all other Regiments in the Army.

Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Forces Headquarters, Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna, 23 Division Headquarters, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps, Sri Lanka Artillery Regiment, Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment, Gajaba Regiment, Special Force Regiment, Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Mechanized Infantry Regiment, Sri Lanka Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Regiment, Engineer Service Regiment, Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police Regiment, Sri Lanka Military Academy and Sri Lanka Army Disabled Sports Committee were among Army establishments that donated more than Rs 1 million, each towards the success story of the project.

Private sector donors, David Peiris Motor Company Limited, Diesel & Motor Engineering Company Limited, Lanka Ashok Leyland Limited, MAS Holdings, Mobitel Private Limited, ORIT, Wickramarathne Private Limited, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Etisalat Lanka Private Limited, Hatton National Bank – Head Office, Mr K.K.N Jayathilaka, Hemas Hospital, International Construction Private Limited, Seylan Bank and SWP Vanitha Ekamuthuwa – Kandy, offered more than Rs 1 million, each to the ‘Abimansala’ project, impressed with the noble objective of it.

In addition, various individual groups and donors, patriots and well-wishers did their part silently towards realization of the unprecedented project of our times, but wanted to remain anonymous at all times.

The Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB) on the instructions of its President Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya since initial planning threw its full weight behind through the most vital ‘Brave Hearts’ fund-raising project until its completion and expects to expand the project to other areas as well in the future, considering needs of some 300 dependent disable War Heroes living in different districts. To this effect, the SVAB conducted a string of fund-raising programmes, including musical shows, fashion shows, public fairs, sale of T-shirts, caps, wrist bands and the like throughout the past one year after and before the auspicious ground-breaking began in late May, last year.

The ‘Abimansala’ to be run, headed by a Commandant and 8 senior officers and 111 other ranks (administrative section) will have another group of 8 officers and 84 other ranks and 40 medical assistants exclusively for the service at the medical and rehabilitation section in the wellness resort and is expected to be facilitated with two ambulances, three vans, one car, one bus, one lorry, one tractor and one motorbike.

The centre, depicting architecture of the highest standards, done by the architect, Mr Vinod Jayasinghe, also offers a multitude of facilities such as religious tours, entertainment, computer learning, etc to War Hero families and their children who would be visiting their beloved disable inmates for a specific period of time.

A large gathering of religious dignitaries, Ministers, diplomats, Governor for north central province, Chief Minister, donors, sponsors, artistes, well-wishers, parents and family members of disable War Heroes, senior Army officers and other invitees attended the inaugural ceremony. (Ends)

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