HNB ‘Oba Venuwen Api’ initiative donates vital medicines to hospitals

Supporting the Lady Ridgeway and Colombo South Teaching Hospitals during this time of need, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank HNB PLC, donated much needed medication necessary for new born babies and pregnant mothers through its flagship ‘HNB Oba Venuwen Api’ initiative.

Given the shortage of medication experienced across the island, HNB continued its flagship CSR initiative established after the onset of the pandemic to assist the health sector when possible with supplies and machinery. HNB AGM Strategy, Priyanka Wijeratne handed over the medications to Lady Ridgeway Hospital Deputy Director – Dr. Santhusitha Senapathi, while HNB Head of Legal, Shiromi Halloluwa handed medications to Colombo South Teaching Hospital Director – Dr. Sagari Kiriwandeniya.

“Our health sector has been one of the most severely affected by the ongoing economic crisis. Given that hospitals have not fully recovered from the hardships brought on by the pandemic, we believe that it is time to step up and ensure that essential healthcare facilities and medication are available to treat patients. The first round of our funds have been allocated to provide our future generations with medication and will soon be followed with support to other areas in the health sector,” HNB Deputy General Manager -CHRO/Chief Transformation Officer L. Chiranthi Cooray said.

Fueled by HNB’s Sustainability Foundation, the Oba Venuwen Api initiative is funded by HNB employees contributing a day’s pay at the onset of the pandemic last year. The Bank matched the staff donation to establish the initiative, which has since been allocated for various projects aimed at uplifting healthcare service to combat the pandemic.

This beneficent project that HNB started has delivered urgently required medication to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital and Colombo South Teaching Hospitals. These generous contributions will also be benefitted by the BH Puttalam, TH Peradeniya, TH Batticaloa, TH Kandy, TH Ragama and TH Kurunegala.

Notably, the Oba Venuwen Api initiative, together with the HNB Sustainability Foundation, also donated Rs. 20 million to revive micro-enterprises across the island last year.

Further, HNB delivered urgently required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to regional hospitals and MOH offices in the country during the height of the pandemic.