AMAF Radiothon 2016 was held on the 25th March (Good Friday) Annual Fund Raising event.

I take this opportunity to thank you for your support in the past. I’m very proud that we are in a position to provide essential medical needs to our people in the North East of Sri Lanka. In our regular discussions and conversations with the doctors, Allied Health professionals, and Health administrators, we regularly update the ground situation and conditions and we are able to provide most wanted medical support time to time. Our projects have been well scrutinized in selection, progress and delivery.

Last year, Dr. Sujitha Thavabalachandran  (Secretary, NSW Branch, AMAF) went to Jaffna with Westmead Hospital Cardiology team to perform very delicate cardiac procedures and donated AUD$300, 000 worth of cardiac stents and pace makers to Jaffna Hospital.

Recently, two of our Junior members went to NorthEast of Sri Lanka to implement `Children Indoor Play area’ projects in Batticoloa, Jaffna, Killinochi and Tellipallai Hospitals.  In the future more and more health professionals are planning to visit and will involve in management of patients, training / knowledge transfer and implementation of medical projects.

I can assure you that this year will be another remarkable year in providing and implementing medical projects in NorthEast of Sri Lanka. We have over 10 projects in hand and

the main projects for this year would be:

1. Psychosocial Project – Northern province: aimed at the school students affected by the civil war that ravaged the North East of Sri Lanka over three decades. The children who witnessed the death of members of their family and relatives, destruction of their homes and property, the atrocities during the civil war and oppression by the armed forces of occupation carry the scars of psychological trauma. The project headed by Prof Daya Somasundaram of University of Jaffna Medical College, Sri Lanka, in collaboration with AMAF, is to initially publish a handbook for the teachers, identifying master teachers from every school in the district, train them and in turn use them to train teachers in their respective schools. The aim is to identify students affected by the psychological trauma and initiate therapy which may be school based, community based or with assistance of a psychiatrist or psychologist. The handbook to assist the teachers is in the process of being printed.

Each school will allocate a room called “Mahilaham” where affected students could be interviewed, assessed and receive attention and therapy. This room (Mahilaham) will be furnished with appropriate equipment to provide activities for the students and a place for counselling. AMAF will fund the project with your assistance. We kindly request individuals or old students’ association and Alumni associations to fund for your school and a school in Vanni if possible.

Click here for more information or to donate to this cause

 

2. School Dental Project in the Mullaitivu District – Our aim is to set up a dental facility in Udayarkattu Maha Vidyalayam where a school dental therapist will be stationed. The dental therapist will identify the students who need dental care in that school and the schools in the district, arrange for their travel to the facility in rotation and attend to their needs. Dental surgeons in the Mullaitivu District will assist and lend a hand. Dental surgeons from Tamil Diaspora who wish to participate could lend a hand by working in the dental facility. As part of the project, AMAF will supply tooth brushes, tooth paste and a timer to Year 1 students in all the schools in Mullaitivu District each term and encourage them to brush their teeth supervised by the teachers during the morning interval. We will hold teacher training sessions once or twice a year to educate teachers on oral hygiene and ways to encourage students to pay attention to oral hygiene.

Click here for more information or to donate to this cause

 

Please see the download our Souvenir book of 2015 for our projects and visit our website: www.ausmedaid.org.au.

 

We hope you will continue to donate generously and help us to implement these projects which are going to be ongoing projects for many years to come.

Payment methods: Credit cards (VISA and Master card), Paypal, Direct debt, cash or Cheque.

Do not hesitate to call me if you want more information or to sponsor a project. Please call our team on 1300  990 828 to donate.

Thanking you

Dr. P. Ketheswaran (Kethes) MBBS, FRANXR

Consultant Radiologist

The Chairman, Australian Medical Aid Foundation.