ISLAMABAD - Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne (Retd) handed over donated eye corneas to Lieutenant General Arshad Nasim HI(M) at the Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology, Rawalpindi, marking 75 years of the Sri Lanka Army with a gesture of goodwill and humanitarian collaboration.
The Sri Lankan High Commission in Pakistan commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army through a profound act of generosity, donating human eye corneas to the Pakistan Military, said a press release issued here Sunday.
Organised by the Defence Wing of the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad and the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society, the ceremonial handover took place on November 20, at the Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology (AFIO), Rawalpindi, it further said. Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne (Retd), Brigadier Kaminda Silva, and representatives from the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society presented the corneas to Lieutenant General Arshad Nasim HI(M), Surgeon General of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, and Brigadier (Dr.) Waquar Muzaffer, Commandant of AFIO.
This initiative continues a legacy of cooperation, with over 26,000 corneas donated to Pakistan to date. Admiral Wijegunaratne lauded the historical efforts of Dr Hudson Silva, founder of the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society, and reaffirmed the enduring friendship between the two nations. Lieutenant General Arshad Nasim expressed gratitude for the gesture, recognising its life-changing impact on military personnel and civilians in need.
Sri Lanka, with a rich tradition of eye donation and over 93,000 corneas gifted globally, has resumed this life-saving initiative post-COVID-19.
The corneas will benefit Pakistan military personnel affected by terrorism and others in need, symbolising a deep humanitarian bond shared between the two countries.