Sri Lanka (Commonwealth Union)_ In an attempt to help cancer patients in the country with essential medical services and treatments, AIA insurance has pledged to continue donating Rs.100 to the Sri Lanka Cancer Society (SLCS) on behalf of each new insurance policy purchased. The AIA initiated this donation in 2019 to mark its centennial and has been continuing the charity for the past 4 years.
According to AIA’s CEO Chathuri Munaweera, the organization has decided to continue this assistance program owing to cancer patients and their families requiring specialized treatment, devoted care, and strong support. According to Anoja Karunaratne, chairperson of the SLCS, it is a great benefit and an honor to have a corporation sponsor the SLCS, and she lauded the service provided by the AIA despite the poor economic conditions. She added, “AIA also provides financial support to us and it is an immense strength to us”.
According to her, the SLCS, which was founded in 1948, is a non-profit, non-governmental institution that actively works on the National Cancer Program. AIA Insurance is the major life insurer in Sri Lanka and is passionately devoted to contributing to the economic and social development of the country. SLCS further emphasized the unwavering support provided by AIA and its team to SLCS and stated that the money contributed by AIA over the past years is being spent to help cancer patients with their treatments and to raise awareness about cancer prevention and treatment in Sri Lanka. Further, cancer has become a fast growing concern in the country.
AIA and SLCS also provide regular assistance to cancer patients and their families across the country. Patients requiring long-term treatment at Apeksha Hospital are granted free housing in the Maharagama Bandaranaike Memorial Cancer Homes operated by the Sri Lanka Cancer Society. The facility contains 80 beds, five rooms, and a hospice with 34 beds for terminally sick patients. Additionally, SLCS Public Education officials deliver awareness lectures at industries and other formal and informal institutions around the nation. It also provides public education programs through Google and Zoom MS Teams.
