Two high-tech digital patient treatment machines worth a combined Rs. 600 million have been installed at the Kandy National Hospital, the country’s second-largest teaching hospital, following an initiative led by Hospital Director Dr. Iresha Fernando.
The machines were brought into service on April 23 and are expected to clear a substantial backlog of patients who had been waiting for advanced diagnostic and treatment options.
The first installation is an Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) machine valued at Rs. 200 million, set up at the hospital’s Urology Unit. The technology allows kidney and bladder stones to be removed without surgery, using focused shock waves to break stones into fragments that can pass naturally. Hospital authorities said a large number of registered patients will benefit from the new facility.
The second is a Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) machine worth Rs. 400 million, installed at the Interventional Radiology Unit. The unit replaces a previous DSA machine that has been inactive for more than three years. The new equipment can diagnose and treat conditions ranging from brain disorders to vascular diseases, and supports advanced interventional cancer procedures.
Specialist doctors Manjula Herath, Sohan Perera and Sujith Rupasinghe were involved in commissioning the new units.
Director Dr. Iresha Fernando thanked the government for providing the equipment, calling the additions “a significant requirement for the hospital.” The three-year gap in DSA service points to the broader investment deficit in advanced public-sector medical infrastructure that has built up over recent years, particularly outside Colombo.
