Tsunami assistance

By Rebecca Fraser
WITH the anniversary of the first Asian Tsunami passed tales of local generosity continue to emerge.
A Noble Park organisation has expressed heartfelt thanks to Casey and Greater Dandenong residents for helping them raise $200,000 to buy medical equipment for a Tsunami affected hospital in Sri Lanka.
On 26 December 2004 an earthquake that registered 8.9 on the Richter scale, triggered the tsunami that left an estimated 300,000 people dead or missing in 11 countries around the Indian Ocean — the majority in Indonesia.
The earthquake also devastated parts of Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives.
Not long after the devastating images and news reached Australian shores the Sri Lanka German Technical Training Institute Old Boys’ Association of Australia based in Noble Park set out to raise funds for the devastated region.
In January 2005 the group held numerous road collections in the south-eastern suburbs raising thousands and thousands of dollars.
In a ceremony held late last year at the Noble Park RSL, the organisation signed an agreement with Glen Waverley company Wilson Transformer to use the raised funds to upgrade a teaching hospital in the southern region of Sri Lanka.
The company contributed $42,165 to the appeal with 25 workers from the association.
The project consists of the construction of a fully equipped surgical high dependency unit, the donation of a colour Doppler ultrasound scanner and upgrading of existing facilities to accommodate the scanner.
In addition, Wilson Transformer in Glen Waverley, where more than 25 employees are from the association, contributed $42,165 to the appeal.
Shalini Pathirana, a spokeswoman for the association, said members wished to thank the open hearted Melbournians, especially those from the south-eastern suburbs for their generosity and kindness.
“The completion of this project will see lasting benefits to the less fortunate people who utilise public health facilities in the southern region of Sri Lanka.
“We wish to thank all Victorians for their generosity, mainly the public in the south eastern suburbs as a majority of the funds came from them,” she said.