Jaffna Medical Faculty Overseas Alumni, Australia
2008
Dr Sivanathan, Dr Sithambarakumar, and Dr Vijayakumar started the concept of JMFOA Australia. Dr Sivaseelan joined the conversation.
2009
We had our Inaugural meeting in January 2009 with 34 members. The venue was Reg Byrne Community Centre, Cr of Fyall Avenue and Darcey Road, Wentworthville, NSW 2145. Around 70 people attended the meeting, including members and their families.
The following committee was elected with the following founder members.
President; Dr T Sivaseelan
Secretory: Dr S Vijayakumar
Treasurer: Dr Kala Jeevakumar
Members:
Dr S Sasitharan
Dr Sri Chrishanthan
Dr V Manoharan
Dr T Ketheeswaran
Dr P Nadesarajan
Dr Seyanthan Ponniah
Dr Ilavarasi Ranjith
The future objectives of our Association were discussed, and the following objectives were proposed and agreed upon in the meeting.
1.To promote unity and cooperation among the members who live in Australia.
2.To coordinate and maintain and maintaining a relationship with Jaffna Medical Faculty Alumni association in Jaffna and other countries.
3.To support Jaffna Medical Faculty, Jaffna Teaching Hospital and wider community in North and Eastern part of Sri Lanka.
2010
Venue: Strathfield Town Hall, Cr of Homebush Road and Redmyre Road, Strathfield, NSW 2135
Around 150 people attended the meeting, including 70 members and their families.
Following committee was elected
President; Dr T Sivaseelan
Secretory; Dr S Sasitharan
Treasurer; Dr Kala Jeevakumar
Members;
Dr S Vijayakumar
Dr Sri Chrishanthan
Dr V Manoharan
Dr T Ketheeswaran
Dr P Nadesarajan
Dr Seyanthan Ponniah
Dr Ilavarasi Ranjith
2nd AGM was held in Redgum Function centre, Wentworthville, NSW 2145.
2012
3rd meeting was held on 12/02/2012 at Redgum Hall at Wentworthville. Dr. S.P. Vijayakumar was elected
as president. During his tenure, JMFOA was formally registered under NSW fair trading on 21 St. May 2012.
2012 dinner dancer held at Cherrybrook NSW on 29th Sep 2012. No AGM.
2013
JMFOA Australia funded and initiated a Well-being Centre at the University of Jaffna.
Worldwide JMFOA and JMFOA Australia AGM held on Castlehill on 3rd Aug 2013.
Dr.Vathany Jeyaprakash was elected as president.
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Dr Nalayini Sugirthan was the president of the JMOFA -Australia in the period of October 2019 – January 2022.
COVID hit every corner of the world at this time period. Therefore, unfortunately, AGM and cultural program was conducted virtually in 2020 and 2021 and e-souvenirs were published.
The following projects were carried out in this period:-
1.JMFOA Australia – COVID period fund raising and relief activities The COVID fund raising generated $55,000 from JMFOA Australia chapter members and COVID posed many challenges to the hospitals and our community in Sri Lanka. The money collected was used for various covid relief activities coordinated by JMFOA Australia in total spent nearly SL Rs 10,860,600/- (AUD 72,404/-) .We donated medical equipment to north and east hospitals (SL RS 8,310,000.00/- (AUD 54,670/-) and dry rations( SL RS 1,250,000.00/- (AUD 8250/-) to families financially struggling due to unemployment and restricted movements during COVID pandemic.
Following hospitals received the medical equipment donated by JMFOA:
TH Batticaloa
TH Jaffna
DGH Trincomale
DGH Mannar
DGH, Tellipallai
DGH, Mullaitivu
Base hospital, Kalmunai North
Dry rations were donated to selected families from NE border villages living in extreme difficult circumstances due to COVID crisis. Each family received a ration pack worth of SL Rs 1500/-.
Families living under extreme poverty were selected from each district (Mullaitivu, Mannar,Trinocomale, Batticaloa, Amparai) with the help of local volunteer groups and were offered the above ration packs. Each selected district received SL Rs 250,000/- worth of food items. JMFOA Australia sincerely thank the local volunteer groups Amman Makallir Illa Foundation, Uthavum Karankal,Thambalakamam, Trincomale and Killinochi Education Development Trust for their support in getting this donations reaching the community in time.
2.Initiated the registration process of charitable status of our organization and the name of the organization was changed as “Doctors charity fund incorporated” on 12/05/2021. This charitable status will enable to expand our horizons further and help the under privileged community locally and in Sri Lanka.
3.JMFOA Australia donated a mannequin worth of SL Rs 130,000 on their request of Institute of Medical Science at Green Memorial hospital in Manipay which is a health ministry approved institution conducting a three year nursing diploma course.
4. JMFOA -Australia also organized a cognitive behavioural therapy skills training weekly session for 3 months which was conducted by Miss Meera Bahu – Senior clinical psychologist -UK and this training sessions were well received by Jaffna university students and staff.
5..Another initiative is created a health awareness video clips on variety of common health problems and scripts for the videos were created and performed by JMFOA members and volunteers. They were widely shared in social media.
6. JMFOA partnered with eKalvi charity fund for online learning education of under privileged students in Thalai Mannar pier school in covid pandemic period.
7 This is the first time, our organization received an accreditation by RACGP to conduct a CPD events from 2021 January via zoom with local and international speakers have taken part in the educational program and shared their knowledge with our members.
8.There is a Tamil Radio program called ஆரோக்கிய வாழ்வு ( Arokiya vaalvu) launched by JMFOA Australia since March 2021. This radio program has been aired on Thayagam radio every Thursday evening. This health awareness radio program was very well widespread acceptance among Tamil community. This is an ongoing project successfully going on by our members until now.