{"id":118195,"date":"2021-09-16T23:08:40","date_gmt":"2021-09-17T05:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=118195"},"modified":"2021-09-16T16:07:39","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T23:07:39","slug":"hatred-ceases-not-by-hatred-but-by-love-story-of-sri-jayewardenepura-general-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/09\/16\/hatred-ceases-not-by-hatred-but-by-love-story-of-sri-jayewardenepura-general-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018HATRED CEASES NOT BY HATRED BUT BY LOVE,\u2019-STORY OF SRI JAYEWARDENEPURA GENERAL HOSPITAL"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rohan Abeygunawardena <\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Incidentally, our memory flows exactly Seventy [70]\nyears back to the  ‘ San Francisco\nPeace Treaty Conference ‘<\/strong> in September 1951.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D.S. Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of Ceylon (as Sri\nLanka was then known) selected his young and able Finance Minister J. R. Jayewardene<\/strong> to lead the\ndelegation from Ceylon to the conference. The latter made his historical speech\non 6th September 1951, 11 days before his 45th birthday (he was born on 17th\nSeptember 1906 and his 115th<\/sup> birth anniversary falls this month). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This great visionary defended the sovereign rights of Japan quoting\nthe words of Lord Buddha ‘Hatred ceases\nnot by Hatred but by Love’ (<\/strong>\u0db1\u0dc4\u0dd2 <\/strong>\u0dc0\u0dda\u0dbb\u0dda\u0db1 <\/strong>\u0dc0\u0dda\u0dbb\u0dcf\u0db1\u0dd2)<\/strong>\nwhich allowed Japan to return to the international society after the World War\nII.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty six years after the speech J.R. Jayewardene was the\nelected leader of Sri Lanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lankan economy was stagnating for quite some time\nwhen  United National Party (UNP) under\nthe leadership of J. R. Jayewardene, was elected in July 1977 with a massive\n5\/6th majority to the National State Assembly (with the introduction of a\nrepublican constitution in May 1972 name of the Parliament was changed). The\ndevelopment activities of the country was at a low ebb. The unemployment rate\nhad risen to above 15%.  Import controls\nand licencing was the order of the day. \nThe multipurpose Mahawelli diversification programme considered as the\nkeystone of the government’s economic development program planned in 1961\nfor 30 years was progressing at a snail’s pace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New Prime Minister and his government changed the\nconstitution and introduced a system under which the President remained head of\nstate but was given new executive powers as the head of government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

J. R. Jayewardene took oaths on 4th<\/sup> of February\n1978 as the first Executive President of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact J.R. Jayewardene, first suggested a strong executive\nchosen by the people at a meeting of the \u2018Ceylon Association for the\nAdvancement of Science\u2019 in 1966. This idea was again suggested by him          when Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike and\nher United Front Government were drafting the \u20181972 Republican Constitution.\u2019  It had been ignored on both occasions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1977, as the elected Prime Minister, J. R. Jayewardene\nsaid his first, second, and third priorities were to create employment\nopportunities for the people in general and youth in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new government wasted no time and embarked on a massive\ndevelopment programme to modernise the country. The accelerated Mahawelli\ndiversification programme was initiated with a massive financial and technical\nsupport from Europe and Japan. Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and Free\nTrade Zone (FTZ) were established to bring in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)\nand to attract export oriented industries. \nThe other objective of FTZ was to obtain modern industrial and technical\nknow-how.  The Greater Colombo Economic\nCommission (GCEC) was established to administer the FTZ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major liberalisation reforms were initiated that lead to far\nreaching changes in the structure and performance of the manufacturing sector\nin the economy. The manufacturing sector has become increasingly\nexport-oriented, and it is no longer reliant on the fortunes of the traditional\nprimary export industries to obtain required imported inputs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

J. R. Jayewardene (JRJ), the first Executive President of\nSri Lanka was invited by the Japanese government for a state visit in 1979.\nThis was a unique visit by a Sri Lankan head of state to Japan. He was well\nreceived with a 21 gun salute by the Japanese armed forces, the custom that\nthey generally reserve for the Emperor. \nThus, grateful people of Japan displayed their gratitude to the person\nwho defended their country at the San Francisco Peace Treaty Conference in\nSeptember 1951. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was said that many Asian countries had attended the\nConference with huge lists of demands for reparations from Japan. Japan was\nstill struggling to achieve economic stability immediately after the Second\nWorld War and such payments, if made, would have affected her economy\nadversely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quoting Lord Buddha\u2019s teaching \u2018Hatred ceases not by hatred but by love\u2019<\/strong>, Jayewardene urged other\nnations to forgo their demands for compensation and reparations and embrace\nJapan as a member of the international community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the participants heard J.R. Jayewardene calling for\ncompassion and not compensation they withdrew their lists seeking compensation\nfrom Japan and thereby saving Japan from an economic disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the tour President\nJayewardene<\/strong> and Japanese Prime Minister \u014chira Masayoshi<\/strong> engaged in bilateral discussions along with their\nrespective officials. Prime Minister referred to the great speech the President\nmade at the San Francisco conference which cemented a strong friendship between\nJapan and Sri Lanka. Masayoshi then indicated that his government intended to give\na special gift to remember and recollect the visit of Jayewardene and as a mark\nof respect for the great speech he had made at the conference, in 1951.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The conversation that\ntook place between President Jayewardene and Japanese Prime Minister \u014chira\nMasayoshi about the gift was narrated by the president of Japan International\nCooperation Agency (JICA) Mr. Takao Kawakami <\/strong>who visited the Hospital on\nan inspection tour in 2002. He happened to be the Secretary to the Japanese\nPrime Minister during President\u2019s visit in 1979. JICA president was felicitated\nby the members of the hospital management committee. The writer was the Chief\nAccountant of the Hospital at that time and had the opportunity of listening to\nhis narration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u2018What type of a gift\nare you thinking of?\u2019 asked the President J.R. Jayewardene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u2018Something useful to\nhelp your modernisation programme, by way of a project grant, perhaps\u2019 answered\nthe Prime Minister.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

President\u2019s next quarry was \u2018How large is the grant?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018It is immaterial\u2019 said the Prime Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Jayewardene explained that his government had\nplanned to establish an administrative capital in the ancient city of Sri\nJayewardenepura, Kotte. Therefore, a modern hospital was useful for the new\ncity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister Masayoshi inquired from the officials whether\nJapan had gifted a hospital to any other country. They confirmed that there was\na modern hospital gifted to Thailand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018How big is that hospital? \u2018asked the President and an\nofficial informed that it was a 1000 bedded hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Make it 1001 bedded hospital\u2019 quipped the President\nJayewardene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amused Prime Minister Masayoshi asked \u2018For whom is that\nextra bed?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018For me\u2019 said the President. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese government constructed a beautiful, salubrious\nmodern hospital in a 24 acre plot of land called \u2018Kumbi Kelle\u2019 in Talapathpitiya,\nNugegoda within three years. This state of the art 1001 bedded modern hospital\nwas ceremonially opened by Ishimaysu Kitaagawa, the representative of Japan and\nthe President Jayewardene on 17th September 1984. The day was President\u2019s 78th\nBirthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Jayewardene also ensured that the hospital was\nmanaged as a semi-governmental organisation under the Ministry of Teaching\nHospitals. A board of management was established by a special act of\nparliament. His intention would have been to free the management of new\nhospital from the clutches of government bureaucracy. In spite of many requests\nmade by prominent personalities of the era to name the hospital after the then\nPresident, he ensured that the hospital was named \u2018\u2019Sri Jayewardenepura General\nHospital (SJGH).\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best tribute to SJGH was paid by present Army Commander General Shavendra Silva<\/strong> when he visited\nSJGH after the war in 2009. He was seriously wounded and unconscious taking\npart in the \u2018Operation Liberation\u2019 in Vadamarachchi in 1987 and\nairlifted to SJGH. When he regained consciousness<\/strong> he thought that\nhe was in a \u2018Five Star Hotel.\u2019<\/strong> Such\nwas the tranquil surrounding of this Hospital. General also thanked the SJGH\nstaff for saving his life with excellent medical care provided not only to him\nbut also to many others who injured during the 30 year war. SJGH treated over\n4000 war casualties from the defence forces and the police. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1999 when Health Ministry vote being discussed in the\nparliament, a prominent member of the opposition (now a minister) criticising\nthe shortcomings of government hospitals said \u2018These members do not realise the\npoor state of government hospitals because they only go to Sri Jayewardenepura\nGeneral Hospital for treatment when they are sick.\u2019 Feather on the cap of SJGH\nmanagement!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several foreigners whom I met during my tenure of office,\ntold me that SJGH was one of the most beautiful modern hospitals in South Asia.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Extra Bed<\/strong> was\ninside the spacious Presidential suite built at the entrance to the\nadministrative block. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Jayawardena never used the extra bed. But that bed\nwas occupied by two prominent personalities, Minister of National Security\nLalith Athulathmudali when he was injured in a grenade attack inside\nthe Parliamentary Complex in 1987 and the first woman Prime Minster of the\nworld Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike in late nineties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the opening ceremony President J.R. Jayawardena appealed\nto the staff to look after the hospital in the same way they look after their\nown homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The employees followed his advice and considered SJGH as\ntheir second home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President J.R. Jayawardena, retired from politics in late\neighties accepted the invitation of Dr. J.B. Peiris, the Chairman appointed by\nPeoples \u2018Alliance government of Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, and attended the 10th<\/sup>\nAnniversary celebrations of the hospital held on 19th<\/sup> March 1995, as\n\u2018Guest of Honour.\u2019 The chief guest was the then Prime Minister Mrs. Sirimavo\nBandaranaike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

President J.R. Jayawardena in his speech reiterated his appeal\nto the staff at the inauguration ceremony in 1984 to look after their\ninstitution well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Minister of Health A. H. M. Fowzie appealed to the\nstaff and management to keep politics out of hospital administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quality health-care and the pleasing environment at this\nhistorical institution should be maintained and continued for the benefit of\nfuture generations. This task is now vested with the present and future\nmanagement and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tenth Anniversary Celebration \u2013 Keep Politics Out<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rohan Abeygunawardena Incidentally, our memory flows exactly Seventy [70] years back to the  ‘ San Francisco Peace Treaty Conference ‘ in September 1951. D.S. Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then known) selected his young and able Finance Minister J. R. Jayewardene to lead the delegation from Ceylon to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[167,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118195"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118195\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}