13 December 2019 09:03 pm
While categorically rejecting the allegations levelled by Maharagama Apeksha Hospital Director Dr. Wasantha Disanayake, Fight Cancer Team Founder M.S.M. Mohammed said the control and management of the fund, which the Hospital Director referred to as having been misused was in fact vested with the Health Ministry.
He told a news briefing today that the fund titled 'National Health Development Fund' is entirely for the purpose of aiding cancer patients and that every cent deposited was safe.
“Only the Health Ministry has the sole legal authority to deal with financial transactions in the account,” Mr. Mohammed said and added that money could only be withdrawn on a tender procedure which did not allow individual interventions.
“The Hospital Director alleges that money has not been deposited to this account but to another account called Mohammed. However, I would like to stress that we have evidence to show that every cent is deposited to this account,” he said and pointed out that such baseless allegations could tarnish the good name of the project leaving the donors in doubt.
Mr. Mohammed said they had discussed this issue with their lawyers and would take necessary action in future.
He said they were collecting this amount to purchase a tomotherapy machine and linear accelerator machine, which cost almost Rs.100 cores and that their team also expected to make “Apeksha” Hospital one of the best hospitals for cancer treatment in South Asia by 2025.
“I am a person who was badly battered by being beside my son who is a cancer patient. I know how hard it is to go through that period. It is my son’s experience that persuaded me to initiate an organisation of this nature.
Meanwhile, Narada Herath, an executive member of the team clarified the reliability of the fight cancer project, which already installed a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) CT scanner in 2018. He also said such allegations should be carefully examined. (Sheain Fernandopulle and Nishantha Hewage)
Pix by Nisal Baduge