Embassy of the United States

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Deputy Chief of Mission James R. Moore addresses First National Conference of the Trauma Secretariat

Distinguished members of the head table, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is a great pleasure to join you this morning for the opening of the first national conference of the Trauma Secretariat.

Ambassador Blake very much wanted to be here this morning but is out of the country on official business, opening a post-tsunami assistance project in the Maldives.  On his behalf, I would like to extend to you our warm congratulations on the important work you are doing for the people of Sri Lanka.

We congratulate, in particular, the Ministry of Health for placing such high priority on trauma-related injuries, of which there are, unfortunately, far too many in your country and in mine.  The Ministry’s strong commitment in this field is epitomized by the launch one year ago of the Trauma Secretariat.

By developing a Trauma Chain of Survival – which includes prevention, pre-hospital care, hospital care, and rehabilitation – there is now the possibility the lives and livelihood and thousands of Sri Lankans will, in the future, be saved.

I was really heartened to learn of the success of several pilot, pre-hospital care projects in Sri Lanka, including the Colombo Fire Brigade, the Hikkaduwa Area Ambulance, and the Kurunegala Hospital district.  These initiatives mark a significant step forward in trauma care in Sri Lanka, and it is our hope that similar services will be established throughout the country.

The American Embassy is especially pleased that two U.S. based non-governmental organizations – Medical Teams International and AmeriCares – have joined hands with the Ministry of Health to support trauma care in Sri Lanka.

The work of these two U.S. based NGOs is primarily funded by donations from American citizens.  This reflects the desire and commitment of the American public to reach out to others – and to provide financial and other support to make our world a better and safer place in which to live.

Both Medical Teams International and AmeriCares will today be presenting donated medical supplies to the Ministry of Health.  We earnestly hope that these supplies will contribute to the quality of trauma care in Sri Lanka. 

A memorandum of understanding that will be signed today between Medical Teams International and the Ministry of Health will reinforce and institutionalize the commitment of U.S. organizations to making a difference in trauma care here in Sri Lanka.

Voluntarism and the desire to help others is a defining feature of American society.  We at the Embassy are proud that a large number of American health care professionals have come to Sri Lanka to volunteer their services in the field of trauma.  These include one of your keynote speakers this afternoon, Dr. Ross Bryan, an MTI volunteer and emergency physician from Portland, Oregon.  Dr. Bryan has been preceded in Sri Lanka by several other emergency care and trauma specialists from the United States who have come to volunteer their time and share their experience and expertise.

Again, on behalf of Ambassador and all of us at the U.S. Embassy, I would like to extend hearty congratulations to the Ministry of Health for its tremendous efforts to improve trauma care here in Sri Lanka and our thanks to Medical Services International and AmeriCares for being a part of this important endeavor.

Thank you very much.