MERCY Malaysia handed over a divisional hospital to the local health authorities of Sri Lanka in a ceremony held on 21 October 2011, at the newly reconstructed building in Ampan, Jaffna. Valued at USD259,707 the project was funded by the Disaster Fund under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.
“Once operational, we hope that this hospital will be able to serve approximately 10,000 people from the surrounding areas”, said MERCY Malaysia Executive Council Member, Dr. Heng Aik Cheng in the ceremony earlier today.
The hospital will be able to provide maternity and primary health care for the people of Ampan and much of the population in the eastern part of Jaffna.
“Our presence in Sri Lanka began eight years ago in 2003 when we assisted flood survivors through 11 mobile clinics. We later reconstructed the Sadat Primary School in Akuressa, Matara where the assistance included the supply of tables, chairs, books and teaching materials”, he said, adding that the school was the first reconstruction project done by MERCY Malaysia.
MERCY Malaysia has since developed a volunteer-based Technical Team consisting of engineers, architects and surveyors who contribute their expertise to health-related reconstruction projects.
As the local implementing partner, the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) was also instrumental in assisting MERCY Malaysia for the reconstruction project and other relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
“This handover is part of efforts which began in Manic Farm when we worked together to serve the Internally Displaced Persons and we have followed them now to home districts. It is part of a holistic effort on health interventions,” said Executive Director of CHA, Mr. Jeevan Thiyakarajah.
MERCY Malaysia and CHA are currently running outreach clinics and hygiene programmes in Jaffna and have recently started a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene project for the returnees settling in Ampan.
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About MERCY Malaysia
MERCY Malaysia is a non‐profit organisation focusing on providing medical relief, sustainable health-related development and risk reduction activities for vulnerable communities in both crisis and non-crisis situations. MERCY Malaysia recognises the value of working with partners and volunteers as well as providing opportunities for individuals to serve with professionalism. We uphold the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief and hold ourselves accountable to our donors and beneficiaries. As a non‐profit organisation, MERCY Malaysia relies solely on funding and donations from organisations and generous individuals to continue our services to provide humanitarian assistance to our beneficiaries.
About the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA)
The Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) is an association of agencies working in, and supporting work in, Sri Lanka. As a network, CHA undertakes tasks such as, membership ethics, coordination and linking, advocacy and lobbying, and acts as an Information Centre on behalf of its members.
The CHA is committed to a dynamic process of continual improvement as a quality certified institution, driven by a quest to maintain ethical, moral, transparent, accountable standards in the provision of our interventions, products and services as a leader located in Sri Lanka in the non-profit sector to secure dignity of life for all.
Media Contacts:
MERCY Malaysia
Juanita Johari, General Manager, Communications and Fundraising, MERCY Malaysia
Level 2, Podium Block, Citypoint, Kompleks Dayabumi, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
T: 6-03-2273 3999, F: 6-03-2272 3812, E: juanita@mercy.org.my W: www.mercy.org.my
Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA)
TT Mayuran, Senior Programme Officer, Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies
No. 86, Rosmead Place, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka.
T/F: +94-11-4626100 E: info@cha.lk W: www.econsortium.info/cha/index.htm
Important Note to Media: Usage of Wordmark MERCY Malaysia
In order to avoid confusion with other organisation(s) that uses “Mercy” as the organisation’s name or part of the organisation’s name, please take note that in addressing the name of our organisation, the wordmark for MERCY Malaysia is with capitalised “MERCY”, followed by the word “Malaysia”. When describing the organisation, the term “MERCY Malaysia” must always be used in full, and should not be partially referred to as “MERCY”, or “Mercy”. Thank you for your cooperation.
MERCY Malaysia continued its partnership with The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, and ran 11 mobile clinics in Klang to offer primary healthcare to the stateless as well as marginalized communities.
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