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Rs 8450 million to uplift Health Services

by Anura Maitipe

The government has spent over Rs. 8450 million during the past five years to upgrade health services in the country, Minister of Health, Indigenous Medicine and Social Services Nimal Siripala de Silva told the `Daily News' yesterday.

Over Rs. 2200 million was expended on new units for specialities such as Neuro surgery, Cardio-Thoracic surgery and Cancer surgery, the minister said.

When the PA government assumed office in 1994 facilities for heart surgery were available only at the National Hospital Colombo and the Teaching Hospital Sri Jayawardhanapura, the Minister said.

There were long waiting lists of patients in the State hospitals and most patients had to seek treatment abroad or private hospitals for bypass surgery. A patient had to pay about four to five lakhs of rupees for operations in the private sector, the Minister also listed several other steps taken by government to improve health services.

They include initiatives to set up Cardio-Thoracic units at a cost of Rs. 800 million in the Teaching Hospitals of Karapitiya and Kandy. The existing Cardio-Thoracic unit at the National Hospital Colombo has been further expanded.

In 1994 facilities for neuro surgery were available only at National Hospital Colombo and Teaching Hospital Kandy. The patients from all parts of the country had to come to Colombo. They had to wait in the list for their turn.

The Government had taken initiatives to set up Neuro surgical units at a cost of Rs. 300m in Teaching Hospitals in Karapitiya and General Hospital Badulla to provide facilities for poor patients in those areas by reducing flow of patients to the National Hospital Colombo.

The Cancer patients too had to undergo tremendous difficulties since patients from all parts of the country had to come for treatment to the Cancer Institute Maharagama as it was the only well equipped Cancer hospital in the country,the Minister said.

The initiatives has been taken by the Government to set up well equipped cancer units at a cost f Rs. 1100 million at Teaching Hospitals at Karapitiya, Kandy, Anuradhapura and Badulla, the Minister pointed out. The further development of general surgery, Gynaecology and Paediatric care in the state hospitals has been commenced at a cost of Rs: 700 million. A new ward complex along with theatre facilities have also been set up at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital Colombo, Teaching Hospital Mahamodara, General Hospital Badulla, Ratnapura, Matara, Base Hospital in Moneragala, Hambantota, Embilipitiya, Balangoda. Diyatalawa, Mahiyanganaya, Polonnaruwa, Balapitiya and Karandeniya.

The Nurses Training Centre was built at a cost of Rs. 800 million in Sri Jayawardena Hospital Kotte. In addition other training centres in Galle, Kandy and Badulla were also provided with more facilities to increase intake of trainees to overcome prevailing shortage of nurses in the State hospitals.

Expansion of wards and theatres facilities at a cost of Rs. 1300 million at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital, Mahamodara, Batticaloa, Jaffna, General Hospital Gampaha, Negombo, Vavuniya, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Kalmunai and Badulla.

The provision of basic and sophisticated equipment worth over Rs. 3000 million including CT scanners, Radio Therapy Units, Heart Lung Machines, Balloon pumps, Neuro endoscopy units, Laboratory Catheterization, Dialysis pumps, Endoscopic units, Mammography scanners and Colour doppler, were provided the minister explained.

The Government has also spent over Rs:450 million to set up a new blood bank, a full-fledged STD AIDS laboratory and a separate unit to control mosquito infected diseases such as malaria, filaria, dengue and Japanese encephalitis.

The Government has proposed to set up a Neuro Trauma Unit at National Hospital Colombo at a cost of 1200 million with the assistance of Saudi fund. The MRI scanner facilities will be provided shortly at a cost of Rs. 300 million out of Korean funding project to Teaching Hospitals at Karapitiya and Kandy.

Under the proposed development program specialities will be provided for Jaffna, Batticaloa, Anuradhapura, Ratnapura and Matara hospitals. In addition the basic specialities such as general surgery, gynaecology and paediatric care will be further expanded in to rural areas.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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