Pet Scanner Fund of National Cancer Institute - Update 2

Pet Scanner Fund of National Cancer Institute - Update 2

Behind the scenes of the story of purchasing a Pet Scanner machine for the Maharagama
Cancer Institute for the general public across a public fund which incidentally was the concept of a certain individual when neither the government nor medical societies recognised its necessity criticisms for which locals are accustomed to have emerged across the social media as well as websites. It incidentally is the criticism relating to 'putting plus marks'.

Mr. M.S.H. Mohammed who was a wealthy person living in Kalutara who launched this concept has 7 daughters and 1 and only son, it was said. What agony would his only son aged just 15 years who was afflicted by bone-cancer would have undergone in bearing up the suffering? Having understood the vanity of spending millions for local and overseas hospitals after coming to the Maharagama Cancer Institute it had been possible to observe the cleverness of the hospital staff and had then thought of the existing physical shortcomings which provoked him to satisfy that situation for the benefit of each and everybody. It was in this manner that Kadija Foundation belonging to him launched this Fund in the month of September in 2015.

Though he had taken a step forward by giving calls to businessman whom he knew and soliciting for help with the motive of boosting the Fund, it had not met with that much of success.It was 6 months since the said Fund was started and by the end of the month of March 2016 the collection had reached only a sum of 70 lakhs. As such there was not even a single crore there. Thus it was this last March 18th he had taken an extra effort in securing publicity for this venture by inviting the media. During the period of 2 months and 3 weeks that elapsed from that date he was able to collect a sum of close upon 23 crores to fill the Fund with the aid of the media. It was the Derana Channel that took prominence to put across the media message. Their Manusath Derana Programme had already touched the hearts and won recognition in the process for having activated and launched public assistance projects in the case of various natural disasters prior to this. Manusath Derana was capable of claiming the Jaika Award for the Best Social Welfare Project for having contributed on behalf of making the public aware of kidney disease and to arrest that condition. Derana had even across her news broadcast had devoted the time allocated in spending millions of finances on this behalf and had thus dedicated themselves by taking the brunt on their shoulders to make this dream about the 'Pet Scanner' become a reality. Mr. Mohammed also explained that like the media newspaper establishments such as Lake House Vijaya have granted advertisements amounting to lakhs free of charge on this behalf. A large number of contributors from close upon 15000 who donated by way of finances have requested that their identities be not revealed.

Mr. Mohammed mentioned that when the Fund was just about to be closed, it was announced when the collection was 18 crores and for the announcement that only two was short, the public had become so sensitive and subsequently even when the Fund had secured its target, finances had started to flow in and in the end instead of two, the total contributions had reached the figure of 5.3 crores.

He also commented that if not for the strong publicity provided by Manusath Derana for this venture, this Fund may have still remained as a slow-moving Fund securing just 1 lakh for a month. In all announcements broadcast over this Fund it was the Bank of Ceylon Account No. that had been quoted under the name Cancer Institute. The manner in which the finances were collected had been carried out in a transparent manner and may merit be acquired by those who helped in a prodigious way.

At the speech made by Mr. Mohammed recently had mentioned that he had followed his education in a Buddhist school in Kalutara and that he mostly associated Sinhala Buddhist friends and that he followed Buddhism as the subject of religion. Criticism aimed at by referring to his community and religion by some elements is indeed loathsome. In this way if one was to enquire, there is absolutely nothing wrong if Mr. Mohammed as well as Derana too added marks in this endeavour of wonderful act of hospitality or welfare. While everybody who contributed with their finances and those who appreciate such an act would undoubtedly reap their merit while those who even without extending their contribution of finances but yet indulge only in criticism would inevitably reap sin only. The sensitive speech made by Mr. Mohammed for having reached the target of the Fund is reflected at a meeting held in that respect, from below