Ceylon Tea coming from the resplendent island nation Sri Lanka is recognized for her well balanced tasting profiles by tea connoisseurs all over the globe. Tea was first grown commercially in Sri Lanka by the The legendary Scottish planter Mr. James Taylor in 1867. Since then there were many legends who uplifted the premium image of Pure Ceylon Tea. Mr. Merrill J. Fernando, The founder of Premium Tea Brand Dilmah are one of them. As Daily FT had reported, The Merrill J. Fernando High Dependency Care Facility was inaugurated on 16th August 2021 at the, Nawalapitiya District General Hospital. The facility is funded by Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company Plc and its associate Kahawatte Plantations PLC with the facilitation of the MJF Charitable Foundation. This unit will provide specialized medical care for the predominantly tea estate workers in Nawalapitiya, also serving the Central Province. Nawalapitiya is situated in Kandy tea growing region of Sri Lanka.

The facility is housed in a structure which has been comprehensively refurbished to expand DGHN’s clinical care capacity and strengthen its COVID-19 response. The benefit from the unit will go beyond the pandemic in strengthening the hospital’s capacity to care for high-risk patients. The HDU includes the most advanced medical equipment and respiratory support systems to manage patients with severe COVID-19 and other respiratory ailments.

District General Hospital Nawalapitiya (DGHN) presently provides healthcare services for 500,000 people from the surrounding tea estates, and adjacent Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts. Current hospital capacity is not sufficient to accommodate demand, especially pandemic-related patient surges. The 680-strong staff at DGHN were treated to lunch alongside the opening, in appreciation of their dedication. A broader, regional food and nutrition program is being formulated with details to be announced shortly.

MJF Charitable Foundation‘s activities in the tea plantation sector include emergency relief for families in COVID related distress, study support, entrepreneurship development, childcare, nutrition, education support and other initiatives related to the general welfare of the workers. Amongst other achievements the MJF Foundation Scholarship program has produced doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and a magistrate from amongst the children of tea estate workers.

Other than its plantations program, the Foundation has Centres for Empowerment, supporting communities in some of the poorest parts of Sri Lanka with education, vocational training, agricultural entrepreneurship, support for microbusiness, nutrition support, IT Education, and programmes for women, youth and children with disabilities. 

The Merrill J. Fernando Foundation has also partnered with MilleniumIT Esp, 99X, Fortude and Microsoft in developing unique disability and teletherapy apps. Prior to the current restrictions the Foundation supported 6,000 people across Sri Lanka daily, with a larger number expected to benefit once pandemic related limitations can be lifted.

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References

1. Main Source: https://www.ft.lk/healthcare/Dilmah-Tea-and-Kahawatte-Plantations-donate-High-Dependency-Care-Unit-to-Nawalapitiya-Hospital/45-721941
2. More Information: https://pressroom.dilmahtea.com/dilmah-in-news/dilmah-tea-and-kahawatte-plantations-donate-high-dependency-care-unit-to-nawalapitiya-general-hospital–461.html