Exercise 'Pacific Angel' Successfully Concluded
10:18pm on Tuesday 23rd August 2016
A joint Medical and Renovation campaign
‘Exercise Pacific Angel 16-3’ was commenced on 15 August 2016 and concluded
on 22 August 2016 in the Jaffna Peninsula.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala, Director Air Operations Air Vice Marshall Sumangala Dias, Director Health Services Air Commodore Lalith Jayaweera, Director Civil Engineering Air Commodore Ruchira Samarasinghe and officers of the Sri Lanka Air Force joined with the US Pacific Air Force representatives, His Excellency U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ministers and civil organisation representatives for the inauguration of the programme.
The exercise was conducted by the US Pacific Air Forces in collobaration with the Sri Lanka Air Force and civil organizations.The Sri Lanka Air Force joined with the United States Pacific Air Force in co-hosting a Health Services Outreach (HSO) and Engineering Civil Programme (ENCAP) which were conducted at selected sites and underprivileged schools in the Jaffna Peninsula respectively. Both activities were benefited the local population, while allowing both multinational responders and Sri Lankans to practice providing emergency medical assistance and engaging in reconstruction, in a disaster situation.
The programme mainly focused on providing Primary Health Care, Physical Therapy, Optometry and Dentistry for civil personnel. The appropriate medical treatments provided by a joint team of professional doctors from Pacific air Forces including representatives from Bangladesh Air Force, Maldivian Defence Force, Nepal Army, SLAF Medical/Dental officers and nurses. A team of Medical Students of Jaffna Medical Faculty and Red Cross participated and supported as the interpreters.
The medical teams commenced their program at Idaikkadu Maha Vidyalam in Kopay and Punguduthivu Shri Subramaniya Girls Vidyalam in Velanai and treated large number of (more than 3000) needy patients. This initiative helped to share the knowledge and experiences among the health professionals of represented countries.
In addition to that, Civil Engineering programme was focused on renovating of school buildings and uplifting the infrastructure facilities of 6 schools in the Jaffna. This exercise also provided a forum for SLAF civil engineers and technicians to enhance the knowledge, share the expertise and skills of Pacific Air Forces on modern engineering practices in disaster management and renovation.
This programme was successfully concluded with a closing ceremony on 22nd Aug 16 with the presence of Maj Gen Abel Barrientes the Mobilization Assistant to the Vice Commander Pacific Air Force, Air Commodore Ravindra Liyanagamage the Air Co-ordinator, Gp Capt SDGM Silva the Commanding Officer of the SLAF Station Palaly. Wg Cdr SS Dissanayake, Wg Cdr PAV Padmaperuma and Flt Lt BPV Ranapriya coordinated the programe.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala, Director Air Operations Air Vice Marshall Sumangala Dias, Director Health Services Air Commodore Lalith Jayaweera, Director Civil Engineering Air Commodore Ruchira Samarasinghe and officers of the Sri Lanka Air Force joined with the US Pacific Air Force representatives, His Excellency U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ministers and civil organisation representatives for the inauguration of the programme.
The exercise was conducted by the US Pacific Air Forces in collobaration with the Sri Lanka Air Force and civil organizations.The Sri Lanka Air Force joined with the United States Pacific Air Force in co-hosting a Health Services Outreach (HSO) and Engineering Civil Programme (ENCAP) which were conducted at selected sites and underprivileged schools in the Jaffna Peninsula respectively. Both activities were benefited the local population, while allowing both multinational responders and Sri Lankans to practice providing emergency medical assistance and engaging in reconstruction, in a disaster situation.
The programme mainly focused on providing Primary Health Care, Physical Therapy, Optometry and Dentistry for civil personnel. The appropriate medical treatments provided by a joint team of professional doctors from Pacific air Forces including representatives from Bangladesh Air Force, Maldivian Defence Force, Nepal Army, SLAF Medical/Dental officers and nurses. A team of Medical Students of Jaffna Medical Faculty and Red Cross participated and supported as the interpreters.
The medical teams commenced their program at Idaikkadu Maha Vidyalam in Kopay and Punguduthivu Shri Subramaniya Girls Vidyalam in Velanai and treated large number of (more than 3000) needy patients. This initiative helped to share the knowledge and experiences among the health professionals of represented countries.
In addition to that, Civil Engineering programme was focused on renovating of school buildings and uplifting the infrastructure facilities of 6 schools in the Jaffna. This exercise also provided a forum for SLAF civil engineers and technicians to enhance the knowledge, share the expertise and skills of Pacific Air Forces on modern engineering practices in disaster management and renovation.
This programme was successfully concluded with a closing ceremony on 22nd Aug 16 with the presence of Maj Gen Abel Barrientes the Mobilization Assistant to the Vice Commander Pacific Air Force, Air Commodore Ravindra Liyanagamage the Air Co-ordinator, Gp Capt SDGM Silva the Commanding Officer of the SLAF Station Palaly. Wg Cdr SS Dissanayake, Wg Cdr PAV Padmaperuma and Flt Lt BPV Ranapriya coordinated the programe.
