Doctor Ranjani rejects new home

I don't want a big house ..... a small house would do
says Consultant Lady Doctor


Mrs. Ranjani Gunawardena, retired Medical Consultant who was living a solitary existence in Dehiattakandiya was taken for eye-surgery to hospital  recently and the incident drew much public attention.

Many parties volunteered to offer her support and it was reported in the media that Minister Wimal Weerawansa decided to give her a house. However, what her response in this connection was rather surprising. She has on the other hand made a request from Director General of Health Services, Dr. Palitha Mahipala to provide her with a small home containing a solitary room with a verandah close to the Mahaweli storeroom where she is now living because she is not interested in mansions or luxury houses.
At the time of meeting her when she was convalescing from her eye-surgery she had put forward the aforementioned suggestion. When Dr. Mahipala mentioned that medical professionals consented to erect a house for her, she had responded saying that what her ambition is to coach the poor children in Kajuwatta in English and to help innocent animals like the dogs and cats in her possession and that though her intention is to see the poor children in Kajuwatta study well and step into the field of Medicine in the future that she may not be alive by that time.

Therefore the doctors finally came into a conclusion to provide her with a home in the same area  of Kajuwatta in Dehiattakandiya to aged Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Ranjani Gunawardena spending her life all alone by herself.

Dr. Ranjani Gunawardena who is residing in an abandoned storeroom in Mahaweli alone is presently undergoing treatment at Polonnaruwa Hospital and by now it is learnt that her eye-operation performed last Friday (Jan 31) has turned out to be successful and  she has regained her sight.

"I don't want mansions ..... I will not live for long. So till then if I am given a small house close to the well where I am now living, for me to lie down .... it's enough.Then I can teach some English to the children in the village and live by caring for my pets. Till I die I will be in Kajuwatta," she said.

Accordingly all doctors are to pool in their personal finances and lay the foundation-stone this Sunday (Feb 7) with the intention of help build a home for her in the same place where she is now. The Mahaweli Development Board too has consented to donate a plot of land of 6 perches to her, it is understood.