Cabinet approval to purchase PET Scanner

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal to purchase the PET-CT Scanner for the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama with the funds collected from the public through a campaign supported by Manusath Derana.  

An initiative was launched by the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama (renamed as Apeksha Hospital) to seek public assistance for the purchase of a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner.

The PET scanner is an essential requirement for the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama as it allows doctors to detect the early onset of disease before it is evident on other imaging tests.  

The campaign received the full support of Manusath Derana, the CSR initiative of TV Derana, to achieve its target of Rs. 200 million to purchase the PET Scanner. The target was achieved in June 2016.

Manusath Derana Project Chairman Mahesh Jayawardena said that he received a letter from the director of the cancer hospital on March 16, 2016 requesting assistance for the PET Scanner fund.

He stated that when Manusath Derana decided to pledge support to the programme a sum of only Rs 6 million had been amassed by then. 

However, donations started to flood soon after that and the target of Rs 200 million was achieved within a short span as a result of the dedication of a number of individuals and media organisations, he said.