India pledges Rs. 600M for Deniyaya Base Hospital

Colombo, July 13 (Daily Mirror) - The Government of India has pledged to provide medical equipment worth approximately Rs. 600 million for the new Deniyaya Base Hospital, further strengthening healthcare services in the Matara District. The assistance forms part of the "Aftermath Cyclone Ditwah Project," which supports the restoration of health infrastructure affected by environmental and geological risks following the cyclone.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the donation was signed today (13) at the Ministry of Health and Mass Media in the presence of Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. The agreement was signed by Health Ministry Secretary Specialist Dr. Anil Jasinghe and the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha.

The medical equipment will be used to equip the new Deniyaya Base Hospital with modern technology, enabling the facility to provide safer, more efficient and high-quality healthcare services to residents of Deniyaya and surrounding areas. Minister Jayatissa expressed appreciation to the Government of India for its continued support, noting that the contribution further strengthens the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Sri Lanka and India.

The Government is constructing a new 300-bed Base Hospital to replace the existing Deniyaya hospital, which is being relocated due to landslide risks and limited space for future expansion. The new facility will be built on land identified at Handford Estate, about three kilometres from Deniyaya town, following geological and technical assessments that confirmed the site's suitability.

The hospital project is estimated to cost around Rs. 6 billion and will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will include male, female, children's and maternity wards, operating theatres, intensive care units (ICUs), an emergency treatment unit and a blood bank. The new hospital has also been designed to be environmentally friendly, disaster-resilient and equipped with modern medical technology.

The Ministry said construction of the hospital is expected to begin this year and is scheduled to be completed within three years.