5,000 kidney patients stuck in surgery queue

Colombo, July 10 (Daily Mirror) - More than 5,000 patients are currently awaiting kidney stone removal surgeries in Sri Lanka due to the high demand for treatment and limitations in healthcare facilities, health authorities said.

To address this growing backlog, the Mirigama National Kidney Stone Treatment Centre will be inaugurated by Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa on July 12.

The new facility has been planned as a specialised centre capable of providing services to kidney stone patients from across the country, while helping reduce the long waiting lists for surgeries.

Kidney stone disease is one of the most common health conditions reported in Sri Lanka, with a large number of patients requiring surgical intervention.

Although more than 30 specialist urology units are currently operating islandwide with consultant urological surgeons, the demand for treatment continues to remain high due to constraints including limited infrastructure, a shortage of operating theatres and restricted access to advanced endourological technology.

Following proposals submitted to the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Task Force of the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, the concept of establishing a centralised kidney stone treatment centre was developed with the guidance of Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.

The Sri Lanka Association of Urological Surgeons (SLAUS) has provided technical support for the project, assisting in the establishment of the facility.