President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared open “Ayati”, the country’s first national centre for children with disabilities in Ragama today (25).
The Ayati centre, an initiative of public-private collaboration was set up with a cost of Rs.550 million to address a burning issue prevailing in the country.
The center will provide opportunities and hope for children with disabilities to achieve their maximum potential and be fully integrated into the society. The newly-opened centre will provide multidisciplinary care for children with various disabilities.
The construction of the centre was carried out by Sri Lanka Army with the financial assistance of Hemas Holdings, MAS Holdings and Roshan – Wijerama Foundation. Hearing equipment was supplied by Rotaract Club. The Center will be managed by a Board of Trustees of the.
Daily clinics will be conducted by doctors attached to the Faculty of Medicine of University of Kelaniya. Medical assessment, speech and language therapy, audiology and occupational therapy as well as physiotherapy will be available at the centre free of charge.
Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, State Minister Tharaka Balasooriya, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Piyal de Silva, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya Prof. D. M. Semasinghe, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and Chairperson, Ayati Trust Prof. Nilanthi de Silva, member of Ayati Trust Roshan Mahanama were also present on the occasion.
