Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Health Care for the needy……
W@W speaks to Zonta Award winner Indra Fernando
By Damitha Hemachandra
She is a management specialist in the complex world of medicine and doctors.
Turning a nearly four decade old Philip Memorial Nursing Home to a modern state of the art hospital today was a heavy challenge for Mrs. Indra Fernando, a mother of two.
Indra took over the Phillip Memorial Nursing Home, owned by her late father-in-law in 1994 with little more than courage and support from her family. Today she is managing and chairing the only private hospital from Kalutara upto Galle.
“ We have upgraded the nursing home to a hospital consisting of surgical theaters, maternity and pediatric sections, Intensive Care Unit, 24 hour ambulance service , out patient department and pharmacy,” she explains proudly adding that the hospital consists of nearly 250 staff excluding medical specialists from all fields.
She had also initiated a new concept of laboratory centers based in rural areas of the Kalutara district. The centers collect the basic samples from the patients in far away places in the district and brings them to the hospital for checking and delivers the results faithfully within 24 hours.
Speaking on her vision behind the introduction of Laboratory centers, Indra insists that it was mainly to bring down the inconvenience faced by many helpless elders in far corners of the area..
“They have to travel miles and miles on public transport and on foot early morning just to get a blood or a urine check, but if we can collect the samples from these far away places and deliver them to their home steps that would be a greater service,” she said.
As a salute to her service and achievements within a short time, Zonta awarded her the Best Women Entrepreneur award for the year 2004.
“ It was a great encouragement to me,” Mrs. Fernando said adding that nothing would have been possible if not for the encouragement granted by her family and support of her staff.
According to her, she is bestowed with the best staff on earth!
“I always make sure that they are capable of taking right decisions,” she said pointing out that as the Managing Director, she had delegated her responsibilities among the staff of the hospital.
“ This makes my job much easier- gives me more time to plan out for the future and give the staff a sense of responsibility and involvement with the administration of the hospital,” she said.
True to her word Indra Fernando had put her spare time to plan out the future of Phillip Hospital well!
A six-storied BOI hospital project with a fully equipped ward specializing in eye care is on the way, while she hopes to open the first phase by next January.
“ I realized that this area lacks specialized care on eyes,” she said adding that she hopes to fill the vacuum with the opening of the new hospital unit.
However her next step is to initiate an elder’s home to cater to the rising demand of a proper facilitated round the clock elder’s shelter.
“ I hope to initiate one free of charge for the under privileged while the second elder’s home would charge for the services provided,” she said while insisting that both the houses would be providing the same quality of service.
Having been a housewife for the first 15 years of her life she insists that she would always be mother first and businesswoman second.
“I’ve been giving total focus to my kids and home and I still continue to do so,” she said adding that she makes sure that she never takes her work home.
“ I always try to organize my day and plan my time ahead to make time for my family and my friends,” she said adding that relaxing or traveling with her family is her blissful joy.
By Damitha Hemachandra
She is a management specialist in the complex world of medicine and doctors.
Turning a nearly four decade old Philip Memorial Nursing Home to a modern state of the art hospital today was a heavy challenge for Mrs. Indra Fernando, a mother of two.
Indra took over the Phillip Memorial Nursing Home, owned by her late father-in-law in 1994 with little more than courage and support from her family. Today she is managing and chairing the only private hospital from Kalutara upto Galle.
“ We have upgraded the nursing home to a hospital consisting of surgical theaters, maternity and pediatric sections, Intensive Care Unit, 24 hour ambulance service , out patient department and pharmacy,” she explains proudly adding that the hospital consists of nearly 250 staff excluding medical specialists from all fields.
She had also initiated a new concept of laboratory centers based in rural areas of the Kalutara district. The centers collect the basic samples from the patients in far away places in the district and brings them to the hospital for checking and delivers the results faithfully within 24 hours.
Speaking on her vision behind the introduction of Laboratory centers, Indra insists that it was mainly to bring down the inconvenience faced by many helpless elders in far corners of the area..
“They have to travel miles and miles on public transport and on foot early morning just to get a blood or a urine check, but if we can collect the samples from these far away places and deliver them to their home steps that would be a greater service,” she said.
As a salute to her service and achievements within a short time, Zonta awarded her the Best Women Entrepreneur award for the year 2004.
“ It was a great encouragement to me,” Mrs. Fernando said adding that nothing would have been possible if not for the encouragement granted by her family and support of her staff.
According to her, she is bestowed with the best staff on earth!
“I always make sure that they are capable of taking right decisions,” she said pointing out that as the Managing Director, she had delegated her responsibilities among the staff of the hospital.
“ This makes my job much easier- gives me more time to plan out for the future and give the staff a sense of responsibility and involvement with the administration of the hospital,” she said.
True to her word Indra Fernando had put her spare time to plan out the future of Phillip Hospital well!
A six-storied BOI hospital project with a fully equipped ward specializing in eye care is on the way, while she hopes to open the first phase by next January.
“ I realized that this area lacks specialized care on eyes,” she said adding that she hopes to fill the vacuum with the opening of the new hospital unit.
However her next step is to initiate an elder’s home to cater to the rising demand of a proper facilitated round the clock elder’s shelter.
“ I hope to initiate one free of charge for the under privileged while the second elder’s home would charge for the services provided,” she said while insisting that both the houses would be providing the same quality of service.
Having been a housewife for the first 15 years of her life she insists that she would always be mother first and businesswoman second.
“I’ve been giving total focus to my kids and home and I still continue to do so,” she said adding that she makes sure that she never takes her work home.
“ I always try to organize my day and plan my time ahead to make time for my family and my friends,” she said adding that relaxing or traveling with her family is her blissful joy.
Jumbo problem looms in Udawalawe
Encroachment may affect National Park and catchment areas, warn environmentalists
By Damitha Hemachandra
An environmental foundation has warned of dire consequences leading to human-elephant conflicts due to the heavy encroachment into the Udawalawe National Wildlife Park and the catchment areas of the Udawalawe reservoir by villagers with the patronage of local politicians.
The Society for Environment Education (SEE) spokesman Sajeewa Chamikara pointed out that the Udawalawe National Park was first established as a catchment area for the reservoir and also to provide a habitat for the elephants affected by the Udawalawe Project.
According to the park authorities the latest distribution of land from Maha Ara was done by the Embilipitiya Divisional Secretary.
The Udawalawe National Park, bordered by the Ratnapura and Moneragala Districts, is a result of the Walawe Ganga Development Scheme. The National Park had been created to protect the wild animals, especially elephants which were deprived of their natural habitats as a result of this development scheme. It was also to protect the catchment area of 30,821 hectares and declared a National Park by the Fauna and Flora Ordinance in 1970.
However heavy encroachment by nearly 50 villages bordering the park and distribution of land under the Swarnabhumi Land Scheme had reduced the size of the park to a mere 5,000 hectares within the last three decades. The park is already a point of heavy human-elephant conflict.
Meanwhile the park authorities accused the villagers of feeding the elephants for the amusement of visitors thus attracting more elephants to the park boundaries, thus worsening the situation.
By Damitha Hemachandra
An environmental foundation has warned of dire consequences leading to human-elephant conflicts due to the heavy encroachment into the Udawalawe National Wildlife Park and the catchment areas of the Udawalawe reservoir by villagers with the patronage of local politicians.
The Society for Environment Education (SEE) spokesman Sajeewa Chamikara pointed out that the Udawalawe National Park was first established as a catchment area for the reservoir and also to provide a habitat for the elephants affected by the Udawalawe Project.
According to the park authorities the latest distribution of land from Maha Ara was done by the Embilipitiya Divisional Secretary.
The Udawalawe National Park, bordered by the Ratnapura and Moneragala Districts, is a result of the Walawe Ganga Development Scheme. The National Park had been created to protect the wild animals, especially elephants which were deprived of their natural habitats as a result of this development scheme. It was also to protect the catchment area of 30,821 hectares and declared a National Park by the Fauna and Flora Ordinance in 1970.
However heavy encroachment by nearly 50 villages bordering the park and distribution of land under the Swarnabhumi Land Scheme had reduced the size of the park to a mere 5,000 hectares within the last three decades. The park is already a point of heavy human-elephant conflict.
Meanwhile the park authorities accused the villagers of feeding the elephants for the amusement of visitors thus attracting more elephants to the park boundaries, thus worsening the situation.
