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Sri Lanka

Fillip to Northern Health sector

North and Eastern Hospitals get 37 brand new fully equipped Ambulances

Under the project for the improvement of basic social service in emerging regions 24 (twenty four) brand new ambulances with intensive care facilities were distributed among hospital in five districts of the Northern Province.

The ambulances were handed over to health authorities during a function held to distribute 86 (eighty-six) fully equipped brand new ambulances among hospital in seven provinces on Tuesday (11th March) at the BMICH in Colombo. The event was held in view of the National Health Week from 10th to 17th March.

The Health Ministry had spent Rs. 886 million on these new emergency mobile medical facilities in order to fulfill urgent requirement of hospital in the Northern, Eastern, North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva Provinces.

A large part of the ambulances had been allocated to hospitals in the former conflict zones, the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Seven (7) ambulances were allocated to the Kilinochchi district while Mullaitivu got six (6). Vavuniya and Mannar districts were allocated with three (3) each.

Jaffna district was allocated with five (5) ambulances.

Hospitals in the Eastern Province were allocated with thirteen (13) ambulances.

The remaining were allocated among the North Central - 9, North Western - 5, Sabaragamuwa -11, Central - 22, and Uva - 2, provinces.

Meanwhile the government has taken steps to develop the Kalawanchikudi Hospital under a project to improve four Base Hospitals in the Island. The project will be completed at a cost of Rs. 6000 million.

Since the end of war the government has spent billions of rupees to rebuild and improve the infrastructure facilities that were destroyed by the terrorists in the North and East. The upgraded Jaffna Hospital boasts of state of the art facilities and cutting edge medical equipment. It is now considered to be the best equipped hospital in the country after the Colombo National Hospital.

Under the national reconciliation programme the government has embarked on an ambitious project to improve and upgrade all hospitals in the former theatre of conflict thereby provide the resettled communities a health service that is on par with that of the other parts of the Island.