‘National Hospital, the most complete hospital’ :

Mahinda Chinthana has ensured free healthcare

Aravinda HETTIARACHCHI

Dr. Hector Weerasinghe (MD.MSc.FCMA), former Director in charge of the Colombo National Hospital was a well known administrator who supervised all areas in the hospital. The Daily News met him to sketch a basic picture of the National Hospital’s health services

Colombo National Hospital when compared to other hospitals, is the largest teaching hospital in this country with a long reputed history. This hospital today has 3,300 beds with 7,000 people working. It has the most experienced consultants who visit this hospital after serving in various parts of this island. Thus, they have a wealth of experience in addition to their educational qualifications.

The hospital has the latest equipment in radiology and able to take MRI scans, CT scans and Ultra Sound tests with various kinds of sophisticated equipment. It also conducts lab tests and has operative theatres with the latest equipment for tests and surgery. “We plan to develop this hospital expanding it to various other specialized areas of medicine,” Dr. Weerasinghe said.

Trauma victims

Already, a separate section for neurosurgery named the Neuro Trauma Centre was opened recently by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This was completed with the assistance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at a cost of Rs. 3,000 million. The hospital, therefore, has the world’s latest neurosurgery equipment today. Also it has well-trained professionals, such as, doctors, nurses and attendants.

The new Accident Service section is constructed with the latest equipment to treat trauma victims. When analyzing the causes for hospitalization, the main cause is trauma injuries that occur due to accidents, including traffic accidents, Dr Weerasinghe pointed out. “Our trauma centre which has the best facilities in this island, has the capacity and capability of providing treatment to all kinds of trauma victims. Our Accident Service consultants are working 24 hours a day. They are not available on call but are physically present in this accident service section 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year,” he said.

The hospital recently performed the first-ever liver transplant in the country. “If you sent this patient abroad, to India or Singapore, this patient will have to spend about Rs. 7 or 8 million for the operation. During this year, we have performed two or three liver transplants successfully,” Dr. Weerasinghe pointed out.

“Once a patient came to this hospital with his hand cut and totally separated from his body. With all our modern techniques and expert plastic and constructive surgery consultants we completely fixed this hand through a14 hour operation.

Healthcare services

“Before 1977, if someone wanted to do a bypass surgery they had to go either to India or Europe. Now everything is available in this hospital. We carry out about 1,000 open-heart surgeries a year. About ten years ago, we did only about 300 such surgeries a year. Sri Lankan hospitals have almost all facilities now. The quality of the health service has rapidly improved after 1977,” Dr. Weerasinghe said.

The hospital is responsible for about two million patients from various outstation departments (hospitals) in this country. Nearly 250,000 patients are admitted per year. In addition, it conducts 70,000 to 80,000 various kinds of complicated operations, 60,000 CT scans, 7,000 MRI scans and three or four million lab tests for a year.

Dr. Weerasinghe said that hospitals today are in good condition, even in the rural parts of the country. Those who can afford have the opportunity to receive healthcare services in the private sector. The private sector has not affected badly the state health service at all, he said.

“Our target is to make all things available at all times. There are ups and downs. Yet today, the health sector has advanced technology, such as echo-cardiology, cardiograms and angiography using sophisticated equipment. We also use even more technologically sophisticated techniques, such as, individual cardiology with the use of computers,” Dr Weerasinghe said.

He said the government most of the time does all these services free of charge, though some people do not know it. Sometimes the government spends about Rs. 400,000 to 700,000 per patient. At times even up to Rs. one million. “Whenever a paracetamol or some little thing is short, people talk more about it. Yet they do not see the other facilities,” he said.

Dr. Weerasinghe said that if a patient undergoes treatments in an Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital, the minimum cost for one week will be Rs. one million. “In our Intensive Care Unit, people stay one week, two weeks or even more free of charge. It is a burden to the government but free health services are ensured in this island, according to the Mahinda Chinthana policy. “We share our experiences, knowledge and facilities with doctors, nurses and staff of other hospitals in various areas too,” he said.