Panadura girl seeks help

Chalani Divumini Soysa of No. 58 Fonseka Road, Panadura who has been suffering from a congenial cardiac condition since the age of three months had undergone treatment at local and Indian hospitals at times. Her condition has been diagnosed by cardiologists as “TOF severe infundibular PS confluent PA”

She has been under treatment of Dr K. Sivakumar, Head of the Department of Pediatric Cardiology of the Madras Medical Mission. Dr Sivakumar who knows the complicated case history has advised that it would be risky to attempt any surgical operation at any other hospital.

He has advised that the patient should be admitted to the hospital by April 20. The cost of the treatment has been estimated at Indian Rs. 211,000 (approximately Rs.600,000 in Sri Lankan currency). Added to it is the airfare for the sick child, and her parents, and lodging in India during the surgery amounting to about Rs.400,000. They have received about Rs.380,000 in response to the previous requests in the press. Chalani’s father says that admitting her to Madras Medical Mission has been overdue for want of adequate funds. He humbly requests the philanthropists and social organisations for utmost sympathy on this sick child and to give him a helping hand to meet the shortfall of Rs.700,000 to cover the medical expenses and in addition the cost of air tickets from Colombo to Chennai. Chalani’s parents are manual workers in the area who earn a pittance to maintain the family and not in a position to meet the expenses of her treatment in an Indian hospital. They seek public assistance to save the child’s life. The donors may make their contributions to Sampath Bank, Panadura Branch A/c No. 102657129083 or Bank of Ceylon, Panadura Branch A/c No. 8124458 in favour of H.P. Nalaka Soysa. He may be contacted on 071-4758595 or 0788-795930.