Accordingly, Sri Lanka Cricket’s
Executive Committee, headed by President Shammi Silva, decided to use the
upcoming league’s international exposure to help the ‘Little Hearts’ project
raise funds to build a ‘Cardiac and Critical Care Complex’ at the LRH.
Once built, the facility will
help immediately treat children with congenital heart diseases (CHD), which are
the main cause of infant deaths in Sri Lanka, according to the LRH.
"Sri Lanka Cricket
not only has focused on cricket in recent years but also always finds ways to
help our country, and this project is our latest effort towards helping our
nation’s future,"said Mr. Shammi Silva, President, Sri Lanka
Cricket.
The ‘Little Hearts’ project says
nearly ten out of every 1,000 infants in Sri Lanka die before they reach their
first birthday due to congenital heart defects.
"We will use the
upcoming Lanka Premier League to give the ‘Little Hearts’ project a massive
boost by conducting a campaign during the tournament titled ''Bat and Bowl for Little
Hearts’ to raise funds for this worthy cause,"said Mr. Samantha
Dodanwela, The Tournament Director of the Lanka Premier League 2023, who mooted
the idea of backing the ‘Little Hearts Project’, along with SLC President
Shammi Silva.
Health authorities say the early
construction of the LRH’s Cardiac and Critical Care Complex is highly important
in order to get rid of the main cause of infant mortality in the country.
"LRH wants this facility
to come up as soon as possible; it is going to be such an important part of our
country’s health care, and we thank Sri Lanka Cricket for coming forward to
help us in this cause," said Dr. G. Wijesuriya, the
Director of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital.
The Lanka Premier League 2023 will commence on July 30, 2023, at the RPICS, Colombo.