LRH performs over 1,000 heart operations annually

The Colombo Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital performs about 1,000 heart operations whereas the total number of children's births with heart diseases is in the region of 2,000. Thus the number of child heart patients awaiting heart operations is about 1,000 per annum.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has decided to establish a heart operation complex in the hospital at a cost of Rs 200 million to overcome the congestion of child heart patients.

Minister Sirisena said at a function held at the hospital on August 8 that arrangements had been made to set apart Rs 100 million from the 2012 budget for undertaking first stage of work on the proposed operation complex. The child heart project officially provided an ecocardiogram machine worth Rs 6 million to the hospital.

Minister Sirisena handed over the machine to the Colombo Lady Ridgeway Hospital Director Dr Ratnasiri Hewage. Also present at the handing over ceremony were Children's Heart Project Chairman Dr Vijith Kannangara, Cardiologist P S Thenabadu and Dr Pramila Senanayake in addition to Additional Health Secretary Sarath Chandrasiri Vithana and Health Services Director General Dr Ajith Mendis.