Wellness centres roll out across 21 districts

Colombo, Jan. 21 (Daily Mirror) - The second phase of Sri Lanka’s nationwide initiative to establish 1,000 wellness centres will see the opening of 42 new facilities across 21 districts on January 24, the Ministry of Health said.

The programme is being implemented under the “Healthy Sri Lanka” initiative, launched on the instructions of Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, with the objective of strengthening community-based healthcare delivery.

As part of the pilot phase in 2025, five wellness centres were established in Mapalagama in the Galle District, Ath Oya in Ratnapura, Thalpitiya in Kalutara, Polgollawatta in Kandy and Gankanda in Matale.

Building on lessons learned from the initial phase, the Ministry plans to establish 250 wellness centres islandwide this year. An allocation of Rs. 1,500 million has been made for the project in the current national budget.

Under the second phase, new wellness centres will be opened in several districts, including three in Colombo, two in Gampaha, three in Kalutara, two in Kandy and one in Ratnapura. Two centres each will be established in Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Badulla, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Trincomalee, while one centre will be opened in Matale.

The official inauguration of the programme will take place under the patronage of Minister Jayatissa, with the opening of the Kananwila and Heenatiyangala wellness centres in the Kalutara District.

According to the Ministry of Health, the wellness centres are designed to provide a wide range of primary healthcare services and will be located in easily accessible areas. Each centre will be staffed by an eight-member healthcare team, including a family physician and a community health nurse.

The centres are expected to function with strong community participation and support from local organisations, while also establishing systems to address both routine and emergency health needs specific to local communities. Enhancing public awareness and empowering citizens with health-related knowledge remain key objectives of the initiative.