President opens latest addition to Hemas hospital chain

Rasika Somarathna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday opened Hemas Hospitals’ latest state-of-the-art medical facility in Thalawathugoda.

The third Hemas hospital to be added by the group to the healthcare market in Sri Lanka following similar successful ventures in Galle and Wattala, has been built at a cost of Rs.1.3 billion.

After opening the hospital the President also viewed its facilities accompanied by Hemas Hospitals’ Chairman Murtaza Esufally and others. The new multi-specialty patient care facility of Hemas consists of 60 beds, modern operating theatres, an intensive care unit, high tech 24 hour laboratory with the latest MRI and CT scanners and a 24 hour emergency care unit. Over 200 leading specialist consultants will provide indoor and channel services. The facility has also been designed with least impact to the environment. Chairman Esufally said they were committed to high quality healthcare and have equipped this latest hospital with facilities and professional staff to provide the people with value for money health care services.

He also said the private sector’s contribution to health care in Sri Lanka was growing and added both public and private sector were intractably linked in providing a quality service to the public. While stating that a healthy country is a powerful country, Esufally added, “We at Hemas are quality conscious and committed to achieve the above twin objectives”. Hemas Hospitals is the only hospital chain in Sri Lanka to have an international accreditation with the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI). Other notable achievements of the hospital chain are, obtaining ISO 9001:2008 awarded to its Laboratory chain in July 2011

ISO 15189:2007 Certificate to Hemas Hospital Wattala laboratory too was awarded in June 2012, OHSAS 18001 Certificate (International Accreditation for Occupational Health and Safety Standards) were awarded to both hospitals in Wattala and Galle in May 2012. Kaduwela Municipal Council Mayor G. H. Buddhadasa, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayatillake, Health Ministry officials, Board of Directors of Hemas and the hospital staff attended yesterday’s opening.