COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s hospitals designated to treat COVID-19 patients are close to full with only 419 beds available out of a capacity of 1,552 as at 1500hrs Friday (9), and fewer still later in the day.
The National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPC), detailing the total hospital capacity and patient count at 1500hrs Friday, noted 1,133 were receiving treatment in the twelve hospitals designated as COVID-19 treatment facilities in Sri Lanka. The hospitals have a combined capacity of 1,552, with Neville Fernando Hospital, the most recent addition to the list having the most patient capacity at the moment.
However, by evening Friday, the number of COVID-19 patients under medical care rose to 1214, further reducing the available capacity by 81.
According to the Department of Government Information, 35 patients were confirmed as COVID-19 positive on Friday, three of them employees of the Minuwangoda Brandix plant and 27 having close contacts with the factory/employees (three of them still under investigation). Five new arrivals, two of them Indian nationals, were also confirmed as COVID-19 positive.
With Friday’s confirmation, the number of positive cases in the Minuwangoda cluster rose to 1,083.
The 12 hospitals allocated for treatment are the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) with a total capacity of 120, 10 available; Base Hospital (BH) Welikanda, functioning five beds above its 110 bed capacity; Colombo East BH, 90 capacity, 67 available; Iranawila Hospital, 49 capacity, 4 available; BH Minuwangoda, 51 capacity, just one available; District General Hospital (DGH) Hambanthta, 186 capacity, 30 available; District Hospital (DH) Rambukkana, 90 capacity, 21 available; Kaburugamuwa, 200 capacity, functioning at -11 with 211 patients; BH Theldeniya, 96 capacity, 26 available; Neville Fernando Hospital, 400 capacity, 242 avaialble, Kaththankudi, 100 capacity, 20 available and BH Homagama 60 capacity, 14 available.
Of the 1,033 under medical care at the 12 hospitals as at 1500hrs Friday, 1,017 are from the Minuwangoda cluster, and 118 are returnees or foreigners.
The Brandix Minuwangoda cluster is continuing to grow with patients being detected across the country. The apparel manufacture employs close to 40,000 workers.
-ENCL