"No issues with regard to National Security" - Defence Secretary

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd) on Thursday (26) affirmed that there is no issue with respect to National Security in the country.

"There is a very broad definition to National Security. One aspect is to protect the motherland and the people from any enemy invasion. Another is to defeat terrorism. Furthermore, if the people are dying in numbers due to a disaster situation, that too comes as a part of national security," said the Defence Secretary.

General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd) said he has no interest in responding to comments being made by various parties with vested interest with respect to National Security, in response to a question posed by a journalist on the opposition leader's comments that National Security had failed.

"We have ensured the security. National Security is strong and we will not do anything that will cause harm to any person in this country," he said.

The Defence Secretary was attending the event to place the Foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art hospital for the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on Thursday (27).

Defense Secretary Gen. Kamal Gunaratne graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and laid the foundation stone for the proposed 12 storied Air Force hospital complex at Naranhenpita amidst the religious blessing of the Ven. Maha Sangha.

Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana received the Defence Secretary upon his arrival at the venue this morning.

A site at Kirimandala Mawatha in Naranhenpita, Colombo 5 was allocated for the proposed Air Force hospital by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in response to a request made by Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Pathirana.

The construction of this 200-bed hospital will be funded by state and Air Force allocations while the SLAF will carry out the construction work with its in-house engineering expertise and manpower.

SLAF has planned to complete five (5) stories of the hospital under the initial phase within three years. Once completed the new medical facility would fulfill a long-felt need of the Air Force.

The fully operational hospice could accommodate 200 residential patients of both serving and retired Air Force personnel. It will also serve the medical needs of families of fallen SLAF war heroes as well.

The Air Force Commander presented the Defence Secretary with a memento during the occasion.

Secretary to the Ministry of Health, senior state officials, former Air Force Commanders, senior Air Force officers, and a large number of SLAF personnel were present at the occasion.