The Government of India has agreed to provide medical equipment worth approximately Rs. 600 million for the planned new Deniyaya Base Hospital, which is being relocated to a safer site following the geological and environmental risks identified after Cyclone Ditwah.
A Memorandum of Understanding formalising the assistance was signed at the Ministry of Health and Mass Media under Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, NewsFirst reported. It was inked by Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha. The support falls under India’s “Aftermath Cyclone Ditwah Project,” which focuses on restoring and strengthening healthcare infrastructure damaged by the disaster.
Minister Jayatissa described the agreement as a significant milestone reflecting the longstanding friendship between the two countries, and thanked India for the contribution, saying the equipment would expand treatment services and strengthen diagnostic and clinical capabilities across the Matara District.
The existing Deniyaya Base Hospital lies in an area vulnerable to landslides and has little room to expand. The government plans to build a modern 300-bed hospital at Handford Estate, about three kilometres from Deniyaya town, at an estimated cost of Rs. 6 billion. The first phase will include male, female, paediatric and maternity wards, operating theatres, an intensive care unit, an emergency treatment unit and a blood bank. Construction is expected to begin this year and be completed within three years.
