India grants Rs 600 million for new medical complex at Mullaitivu Hospital
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka and India have begun implementing a major healthcare infrastructure project in Mullaitivu following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a new four-storey medical ward complex at the District General Hospital (DGH), Mullaitivu, with Indian grant assistance worth 600 million Sri Lankan rupees.
The agreement was signed and exchanged between Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media Dr W.K. Wickremasinghe during the recent visit of Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan to Sri Lanka from April 19 – 20.
The project will involve the construction of a fully equipped four-storey medical ward complex aimed at strengthening healthcare services in the war-affected Northern district.
According to officials, the facility will include modern infrastructure and medical support systems such as elevators, air-conditioning systems, fire protection mechanisms, backup generators, uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems and a piped medical gas supply network.
Authorities said the project is expected to significantly improve treatment capacity at the hospital, particularly in addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The new ward complex is intended to enhance screening and treatment services for people over the age of 35 and reduce the need for patients to be referred to hospitals outside the district for specialized care.
Health officials estimate that the hospital’s bed occupancy capacity could increase by more than 150% once the facility is completed, substantially improving healthcare delivery and patient access in Mullaitivu and surrounding areas.
The initiative is being implemented under the India-Sri Lanka High Impact Community Development Project framework, through which India is currently funding 18 community-focused grant projects across 25 districts in Sri Lanka.
The projects span sectors including healthcare, housing, education, fisheries, agriculture, renewable energy, transportation and livelihood development.
Indian officials said the initiatives are aimed at creating “tangible improvements” in the daily lives of communities across the island while further strengthening bilateral development cooperation between the two countries.
India has remained one of Sri Lanka’s largest development partners, supporting a range of post-war reconstruction, infrastructure and community welfare projects, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
-ENCL
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.