Indian assistance:

Medical equipment for K'chi hospital

Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna visited the District General Hospital in Kilinochchi recently to hand over medical equipment to improve the standard of the hospital. Minister Krishna said similar equipment had been provided to the Mullaitivu District General Hospital.

The General Hospitals of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, which serve a population of 400,000, were completely destroyed during the conflict.

These hospitals started functioning after the end of the conflict when resettlement commenced but lacked essential equipment.

India's assistance includes the supply of 28 types of medical equipment to the two hospitals, including equipment for the ICU, operation theatre, paediatric, obstetric and diagnostic units.

The project strengthens the most important medical care institutions of these two districts by equipping them with necessary facilities to provide complete patient care to the catchment population, which includes the Mannar district.

The cost of the project is Rs. 116.8 million. The contract for the project was awarded to eight local companies after a process of open bidding carried out by the Indian High Commission, with the assistance of the Health Ministry, Northern Province and other Sri Lankan agencies. The equipment has already been supplied, installed and is being put to use.

The minister later participated in another ceremony at Sivapadakalaiyagam school in Kilinochchi, to mark the handing over of the first school under an Indian project to repair 79 war-damaged schools in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya. The objective of the project was to assist in the early restoration of educational activities for children of resettled IDPs in the Northern Province and to deliver a facelift to basic educational infrastructure of the region.

The project will directly benefit a community comprising about 42,000 students and 2,400 teachers, educational officers, by providing students with a conducive learning environment and helping restore educational activities in these districts. The cost of the project is Rs. 187 million. The project is being implemented in coordination with government agencies, including the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province, the Economic Development Ministry and Education Ministry, Northern Province.

The technical monitoring and quality inspection during the construction process is being carried out by engineers and technical officers of Zonal Education Offices under the Provincial Education Ministry. Work is progressing as per schedule in other schools and the project is expected to be completed in nine months.