Statement of Mr Janaka Ratnayake – Chairman of Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has launched a program to provide National Vocational Qualification (NVQ 3 Level) free of charge to trained electricians island-wide from last March. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the National Vocational Training Authority and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission. Accordingly, 2500 electricians covering all districts of Sri Lanka will be certified in the first phase. About 900 electricians in 09 districts have already completed this training and are eligible to obtain the NVQ3 certificate.
We launched this project from the Kurunegala District. We hope to complete this project very soon even in the midst of this Covid pandemic, by very carefully adhering to all health regulations of the Government. Accordingly, action will be taken to issue NVQ3 certificates to 45,000 electricians within two years.
Due to this Covid Pandemic, the National Blood Bank has faced a situation of depleting blood reserves due to a lack of proper procedures to obtain the required blood. As per the special request of the Blood Bank, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, with the assistance of island-wide electricians, commenced blood transfusion camps from Kurunegala today. Today’s camp was attended by 100 electricians and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka expects to donate about 22,500 pints of blood to the blood bank within the next two to three weeks through this island-wide blood donation campaign.
The second blood donation campaign is scheduled to be held tomorrow in Marawila with the participation of 100 electricians. Accordingly, we, with the assistance of these electricians, will take immediate steps to meet the blood needs of the blood bank.
Further information on these blood donation camps can be obtained by calling 0764271030. Updates can also be obtained by contacting the Commission’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/pucsl, and its website, www.pucsl.gov.lk.
