Sri Lanka -Wuhan operation trounces China corona fortress

Sri Lanka -Wuhan operation trounces China corona fortress

The Sri Lankan Airline special team was successful day before yesterday (1) in bringing the 33 Sri Lankan students who were stuck in Wuhan city of China which incidentally was where the corona virus was really centralised as such. It was last 31st that aircraft UL 142 belonging to the above airline carrying four pilots and 16 members of the staff set off to Wuhan in the afternoon 
leaving Katunayaka airport to Wuhan at 3.45 Sri Lanka time. 

Usually  though two pilots would be in service in the case of a flight, where this special journey was concerned, service of four pilots were used. The chief pilots in this instance were Chaminda de Soysa and Sanjaya Anushka Jeevandara. Shehan Seneviratna and Ravin Ranatunga took their position as co-pilots. It is a special feature to note that no aircraft of Sri Lankan airways has ever landed at Wuhan airport in China. In order to make this initial landing a success, the staff concerned was equipped with specialists on the airport track and specialists on air route signals including aviation specialists. As it is not possible to pump fuel to this aircraft from that country, 82,000 kilos were pumped to the aircraft from Katunayaka. 

Apart from the four pilots, members of the staff involved were Farhan Hanifa, Saminda Perera, Jenalijansa, Kaushan Kankanamlage, Denidu Dunusigha, Dinuk Marapperuma, Wasim Mohommed, Amalipathirathnage, L.D.M. Pathberiya, Darshana Dissanayaka, P.B.R.D. Pathiraja and Malisha Prasad. This aircraft landed at Wuhan airport around 11.30 last night, Sri Lankan time. By that time, the Sri Lankan students had come to Wuhan airport in safety with authorities. 

Wuhan airport appeared a highly desolate piece of land and the aviation staff who made the students get on board the aircraft commenced the flight day before yesterday (1) at approximately 4.20 dawn to Mattala airport. The aircraft staff hastened to provide the necessities within the flight and after a successful operation, UL 142 reached Mattala airport at 7.45 in the morning quite safely. The air staff has adopted procedures in respect of wearing uniforms for quarantine safety and safety measures as well and at Mattala airport they and their equipment were subjected to heavy inspection and steps were taken to screen for infection. 

Mr. Ashoka Pathirage, chairman of Sri Lankan aviation services expressed his opinion about this operations by saying, "Whether it be an instance of Tsunami, a terrorist hazard ... at any such moment of danger the national air services stood on behalf of our national requirements". It is with pride that he says that they carry out that national responsibility without stint. Operations for which the board of directors including all members of Sri Lankan air services are highly proud of the 16 members of the aviation staff who came forward voluntarily and for their selfish effort to go to Wuhan city which has been left isolated because of the corona virus. "The pilots including the board of staff who have gone beyond their official duties and have carried out their responsibilities unstintingly as the national air service", Mr. Pathirage added. 

"In the same way I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the staff of our airport who contributed in manouvering these passengers at Mattala airport, members of the staff who handle goods of passengers reporting daily from China, commercial groups, aircraft operations, internal services of aircrafts, medical centres, employees of captain's office and every unit of the engineering division", the chairman said. The communication unit of Sri Lankan air service issued an announcement to the effect that president's secretariat, foreign affairs ministry, Sri Lanka army, secretary of foreign affairs ministry, acting consulate of China, Sri Lanka consulate office in Beijing, the government of China, Chinese consulate office in Sri Lanka, the airport and air services company, Sri Lankan Customs, Emigration and immigration department, health ministry, various state institutions and several special officers have contributed to this humanitarian effort by giving their best.

In the meantime, the  Sri Lankan army too has directed their bio-medical supportive team to Mattala airport and thus provided all facilities necessary for Sri Lankan air services and paved the way to make this operations a great success, it is stated in the announcement. Among those who were brought from Wuhan were 15 male students and 18 female students  and all of them were after a medical examination were brought to Diyatalawa camp underspecial security in a special bus. They were so brought to Diyatalawa by army specialists, and members of chemical nuclear bio-scientific and x-ray responsive category.  Around 11.40 in the morning the special bus that brought these students reached the said camp. 

These Sri Lankan members who arrived from China were isolated immediately and were directed to provide relevant quarantine arrangements under instructions of Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and orders through public health processes under supervision and guidance of army commander and acting chief of security staff, lieutenant general Shavendra Silva. All steps necessary were taken under the leadership of mental health services deputy director, colonel Dr. Savin Semage of Colombo army hospital curative medical and mental health services by co-ordinating very closely with director board of curative medical and mental health services to dispense with all necessary facilities and under such circumstances the central security headquarters and Diyatalawa army basic hospital has by now have provided private toilets, sanitary towels, clothing, meals and other facilities including Wi-fi communication facilities and  thermometers. These two hostels which have been created in a very clever manner have been sealed and they are 100 feet in length and 20 feet in width and the hostels are also equipped with private security equipment as well. In addition, steps have been taken to confine the students isolated for a period of two weeks and to provide quarantine activities under strict supervision of medical advisors, specialists on epidemics and other members of competent medical staff of Diyatalawa medical hospital. 

Preliminary examinations of all inmates of Diyatalawa army hospital of deputy director of Colombo army hospital curative medical and mental health services, colonel Dr. Savin Semage have been conducted by now. On guidance provided by director general of army services, major general Sanjeewa Munasingha, a team of united medical officers have been sent to this curative centre to cover commanding officer of Diyatalawa army hospital and all medical units and it was confirmed that this was a suitable location for  necessary curative activities could be carried out after basic sanitary procedures were followed. 

As such, under instructions of acting security chief of staff and army commander, lieutenant general Shavendra Silva, persons who arrived from China on the evening of last Friday (31) for quarantine purposes are occupying the space of 100 x 20 square feet and taking refuge in the two sanitary buildings the constructions of which have now come to a close. 

Erection of both these two new buildings were completely finished by 17th engineering services regiment under central security headquarters with close co-ordination with commanding officer of central security, major general Laksiri Waduge, authorities of ministry of health services and defence ministry together with acting security chief of staff and army commander.  Other than this, soldiers of central security headquarters have taken necessary steps to renovate three other buildings in army hospital premises to a state which could be made use of in a case of any emergency, army says.

Background reports Chamara Amarasuriya: Demodera Chandika Somaratna; Diyatalawa - Prabath Ratnayaka; Mattala - D.N. Jayasekera; Katunayaka - Gaya Thirimadura