Ananda vithana who was a longtime friend of President Sirisena served as a Senior Consultant at the Agriculture Ministry. President Sirisena inquired into his well-being as well as about the treatment he is receiving.

Maithripala Sirisena who was saerving as the Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister, escaped an LTTE carried out suicide attack at Pirivena junction in the Boralesgamuwa area of Colombo district on 9th October 2008 while returning after a Government function in the Bandaragama area. AnandaVithana too was critically injured from this attack.

From that day onwards Sirisena frequently made inquiries into the well being and the treatment Vithana was receiving. Even after he became the President, taking time out of his busy schedule, he made it a point to visit Vithana at his residence