Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa has inspected the proposed site for a new hospital complex in Dambulla, a project estimated at Rs. 12 billion that is intended to relieve overcrowding and space shortages at the existing Dambulla Base Hospital, Hiru News reported.
The site
The complex would occupy about five acres in the Pohoranwewa Grama Niladhari Division of the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat area. The land has been allocated by the Rangiri Dambulla Ancient Temple.
Acting Medical Superintendent of Dambulla Hospital Dr Aruna Kumara briefed the Minister on the site’s master plan and construction proposals during the inspection.
Timeline
The Minister instructed officials to expedite the preliminary project plans and engineering reports, and to take steps to begin initial site development work within this year.
Dambulla Base Hospital serves a catchment that includes the Dambulla town area and surrounding agricultural districts, as well as travellers on the Kandy–Jaffna and Colombo–Trincomalee routes that intersect at the town.
Not reported
Hiru’s account does not say how the Rs. 12 billion is to be financed, whether Cabinet approval has been granted, or what grade the new facility would carry once built — Dambulla’s existing institution is a base hospital, and the filing does not say whether the complex would upgrade that status.
It also does not give a construction timetable beyond the instruction to start site development this year, and does not say what will become of the existing base hospital premises once the new complex opens.
No second verified newsroom had filed on the inspection at the time of writing.
