Ampara Nursing College:

Nursing the nation

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

Nursing is not merely a profession but a social service too when considering the nature of it. The Daily News visited the Ampara Nursing College to witness the fruitful efforts of the Government to train beginners in nursing.

The Nursing College in Ampara is considered the largest nursing college in Sri Lanka. The Nursing College in Ampara was opened at a ward in the General Hospital in Ampara with only two teachers on March 29, 2005.

But the facilities of the college was not sufficient to meet the basic requirements of a nursing college. Therefore, the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry took steps to construct a fully equipped nursing college in Nawagangoda, Ampara.

The college was jointly funded by Red Cross Societies of Norway and Denmark on the request of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry.

A complete nursing college has been established spending Rs. 400 million. Eventhough the new building complex of the college has not been commissioned the lectures are being conducted.

Now 264 nursing students of three batches are being trained at the college by 11 teachers. So far 174 male and female nurses in two batches have passed out and they are discharging duties at Government hospitals around the country. “This really is a wealth not only to Ampara but also to the entire country. The college has almost all facilities including lecture halls, laboratories, hostels, welfare facilities, libraries and many other. The nursing college consists of five three storeyed buildings, three two storeyed buildings and one five storeyed building.

More than 300 students can be trained at a time while offering hostel and lecture room facilities.

The college is conducting three special courses as three-year Basic Nursing Training (BNT), one year Midwifery Training Course and two-year Post Basic Nursing Training Course. Before setting up the college, students of Ampara who are following these courses had to go to other nursing colleges in far away places,” Ampara Nursing College Principal Dr. M. Wimalasurendra said.

The students of the nursing College can obtain the latest knowledge in the medical field since the college comes with modern facilities and technologies available right now, Dr. Wimalasurendra added.