Alupola waterfalls and Estate Hospital, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka

MO's quarters

Geri with the MO

Philip with the staff

Geri with the staff

Dental Surgeon's office

Hospital outlet

Hospital garden

Please click on the web-link below:-
https://www.facebook.com/philip.veerasingam/posts/2819970378015231

Trip with Geri Jayasekara with photos by Geri, on the road to Alupola.

The beautiful valley and mountains below Galaboda  estate

The 'Dehena Ella' waterfall

Dehena Ella

The Alupola waterfalls

Mist creeping on the top of the Alupola waterfalls

An old 'Varichchi' hut

Mr. and Mrs. Piyasena of Alupola

An estate workers daughter

An abandoned old rubber store

A house of timber

On the road with Geri, to Alupola, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

Meeting a Black-smith at his road side workshop, Malwala.

Admiring the landscape

The well-paved roads

Meeting a retired tea-estate worker couple

The 'DDehena Ella' - waterfall, Hapugastenne

On the bridge near the 'Dehena Ella"

The 'Dehena Ella'

Framing the waterfall.

email from Sarojini Manikarajah

Philip G Veerasingam The Alupola Waterfall in the back ground and the roof of the bungalow where I was born, in the fore-ground. From Facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/philip.veerasingam/posts/2745890785423191

Sarojini Manikarajah Dear Philip I didn't know of your past when I went to take over the hospital in Alupola. It's surroundings are really beautiful.

Sarojini Manikarajah Hi Philip, Its part of my achievements. I was appointed as the first Director of Estate & Urban Health in 1997. The task was to take over the health services and make the services on par with that of the Govt. Services. They had already planned to take over the hospitals which were identified by the plantation sector. Alupola was one. Subsequently I planned the entire health services for the plantation which included not only the hospitals but also the Public Health and Dental services. It was a difficult task as many Ministries were involved but I had support from the Ministries of Planning and the newly formed Estate infrastructure. But had to make difficult discussions with Ministry of Plantations be a use the minister was a difficult person & also I had opposition from the people who were coordinating the health services. It made me have discussions with Provincial Chief Secretaries most of them were working as GAs and Commissioners in Vavuniya and I had good working relationship with them. The process made the provinces to take over the health services willingly in most places except in one RDHS division. Ratnapura was very accomodative. I planned a public health system created new staff cadre, carved out new MOH areas but u fortunately after my retirement the cabinet approved cadre of PHIs selected from the relevant districts had to be posted to Mullaitivu after train because the provincial cadre was full. Still most of them are in Mullaitivu and Mannar though they are from up country but now married and settled down in the north. But I am happy that the Estate population is now looked after by qualified health persons and not by quacks. Alupola was one of the first 17. Marattanne was another. In all at the end 50 hospitals were taken over and the dying cadre of AMPs who were selected to serve in these hospitals too were absorbed into the Govt.sector. All the qualified staff who opted for govt services too were taken over. I think that the system is in place. The DMO system was started in the plantation sector during British era but after 1948 the plantation sector was not considered as part of mainstream population. I think I have given a synopsis of my role as the first Director of Estate Health Services 👍

Adam's peak, seen from Saman Dewale, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

Adam’s peak hiding behind clouds, view from Saman Dewale, Rathnapura.

 

Adams Peak - Sight from Saman Dewale, look between the trunks of the coconut trees, Rathnapura

 Close up on zooming the camera lens

Clouds starting to cover the peak, a few minutes later

Clouds covering  the peak, a few minutes later

            On a visit to Saman Dewale on the 20^th March 2008, I saw Adam’s peak bathed in bright sunlight. The peak next to it is called ‘Baena Samanala Kande’. ‘Baena’ in Sinhalese means nephew. It shows the close affinity between the Uncle and Nephew in the village tradition of Sri-Lanka, from ancient times. The nephew invariably married the uncle’s daughter.

            About ten minutes after I took the first picture, I saw clouds covering Adam’s Peak and I took the sequence of pictures. You can see Adam’s peak covered by the clouds. The ‘nephew’ is just visible through the haze. In another few moments the peaks were all covered by the clouds, as seen in the last picture.

Punya, Milroys wife's reaction to the pictures

Today after receiving your e.mail I was telling about the"nephew " mountain,  to my wife. She having had her first film location on Siri-Pada started singing "Siri Pada Himey Deiyange Rate- BaenaSamanala Kande"Thanks for your regular nuggets of knowledge-

Milroy

email from Daya Jeyasinghe

Thanks for the pictures. Can keep gazing for hours 

Daya j.

Trip with Nadanachandran and wife to 'Bo-path Ella' waterfall and 'Saman Dewwale', Rathnapura.