Austrian aid to develop Kurunegala hospital

Austria will provide a Rs. 2,000 million interest free loan for the supply of modern medical equipment for the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital which is being developed with infrastructure and medical facilities.

An agreement was signed on Tuesday between the Government and Bank Austria Creditanstalt to this effect, a Finance and Planning Ministry release said.

Supply and installation of modern medical equipment is to be completed by September 30, 2009 and the project will be implemented by the HealthCare and Nutrition Ministry.

The North Western Province will benefit once the project is completed and will ease the present congestion of 150 per cent, the release said.

Under this loan, several other main hospitals which lack medical facilities are also developed with the provision of essential major medical equipment, the release said.