The government has allocated nearly Rs. 20 billion to upgrade the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital into Sri Lanka’s fourth National Hospital, Minister of Housing and Construction Susil Ranasinghe said on Monday.
Speaking after an inspection tour of the facility, Ranasinghe said a clear policy decision had been taken to elevate the hospital to National Hospital status alongside the existing tertiary-care institutions in Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna. The declaration would only be made once essential groundwork and development activities are completed, he added, rather than through a ceremonial signboard alone.
Between 14 and 15 development projects are already underway at the hospital, ranging from small-scale upgrades to multi-storey construction. A cancer treatment unit is currently being built, and the final stages of a nurses’ hostel are nearly complete, with operations expected to begin by September.
A seven-storey cardiac treatment unit is under construction, while preliminary work has been completed for an emergency treatment unit at the front of the hospital premises.
Ranasinghe said the Ministry of Finance was prepared to release further funds as required for the hospital’s continued expansion.
Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital is the primary tertiary-care institution serving Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, drawing patients from across the dry zone. The upgrade would make it the first National Hospital outside the country’s three major urban centres, easing pressure on Colombo and Kandy facilities for residents of the north-central, northern and eastern districts.
Sri Lanka’s three existing National Hospitals — Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna — function as the apex referral centres in the public health system, with specialised units and teaching responsibilities.
Source: NewsFirst.
