(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –People of this country will have the opportunity to elect a new government within next five months and I would expect people to use their franchise wisely to select honest individuals who love the country as their representatives, President Maithripala Sirisena said.
The only way to re-build this economically backward and corrupted country is to elect a government with honest politicians said the President attending a ceremony to hand over the newly-constructed District Hospital in Nuwara Eliya today (15).
Politicians who love the country will automatically work towards the upliftment of the public, the President said.
He also pointed out that achieving development goals would not be a challenge if the government sector workforce, the front runner of the forward march of this country with a strong manpower of 1.6 million as well as the academics carry out their due responsibilities.
During thelast five years the welfare programmes carried out for the benefit of the estate sector people is unparalleled, said the President adding that many steps have been taken to ensure free medical and education facilities of this important segment of the society.
Illegal drug trafficking is the simplest and the easiest way to destroy a country. The country is unable to reap the real benefits of many progressive activities due to clandestine agendas of some political parties and their members.
ThePresident emphasized the importance of work beyond petty political gains.
The hospital built with the financial assistance of the Kingdom of Netherlands consists a 600-bed ward complex, operation theatres with modern technology, Intensive Care Units, Outer Patients Clinics, pharmacies, dialysis units as well as quarters for doctors and nurses.
The construction work of this hospital was commenced in 2012 when the President held the portfolio of the Health Minister and the hospital is expected to provide quality service to the tourists who are visiting the picturesque Nuwara Eliya city.
Following the unveiling of the plaque President went on an inspection tour.
President registered the first three patients who came to the hospital for treatment.
Minsters Rajitha Senaratne and Navin Dissanayake, Governor of the Central Province MaithreeGunaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Health WasanthaPerera, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe, a delegation from the Netherlands and the Director of Nuwara Eliya Hospital Dr. Mahendra Seneviratne were among the gathering.
