Dedicated doctor wins award for rural hospital

The Uda Walawa rural hospital which was in a neglected state and facing imminent closure has received a new lease of life and bagged the first prize in the small-scale public service station category at the National Productivity awards ceremony thanks to the dedicated work of an enterprising doctor.

When Dr. Vasantha Kumarasiri was appointed the medical officer in charge of this hospital by the Sabaragamuwa PC in 2009 it was so neglected and disorganized that it almost looked like a cattle shed. Dr. Kumarasiri a son of the soil hailing from the Walawe basin was determined to transform this hospital set up by the River Valleys Development Board in 1960 to its pre-eminent position as before.

He laboured hard for the last three years to upgrade the hospital and provide it with modern facilities with the assistance of his staff, people in the area, State institutions and donors.

The two wards rehabilitated with Provincial Council Funds now accommodate 22 in-house patients and the modern OPD serves more than 150 patients daily.

Today it has a medical staff of three general physicians and a dentist and the facility attracts patients not only from Sabaragamuwa but also adjourning Uva and Southern Provinces for the efficiency of its service.

Provincial Chief Minister and Health Minister Maheepala Herath recently visited the hospital to personally congratulate Dr Kumarasiri and his staff for their achievement and look into ways and means of further developing the hospital. Chief Minister Herath also commended Dr Kumarasiri for devoting his full attention towards the hospital cause by working right round the past year by taking only a day's leave.

The National productivity award in the small-scale public service category will be awarded to the Uda Walawa Rural Hospital at the productivity awards ceremony to held on December 4 under the patronage of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.