India to provide Rs. 600m equipment for Deniyaya Hospital

Sri Lanka and India yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which India will provide modern medical equipment worth Rs. 600 million for the new Deniyaya Base Hospital.

The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Health in the presence of Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, with Health Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe and Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha exchanging the documents.

The donation forms part of India's Aftermath Cyclone Ditwah Project, which aims to restore health infrastructure affected by the cyclone. Under the project, essential medical equipment will be supplied to the relocated Deniyaya Base Hospital to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services for residents of Deniyaya and surrounding areas.

Minister Jayatissa said the agreement reflected the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Sri Lanka and India. He thanked the Government of India and the Indian High Commission in Colombo for the assistance, noting that the equipment would enhance diagnostic and treatment facilities and strengthen healthcare delivery in the Matara District.

The existing Deniyaya Base Hospital is being relocated as its current site is vulnerable to landslides and lacks adequate space for expansion. Following geological and technical assessments, a new site has been identified at Handford Estate, about three kilometres from Deniyaya town.

The Ministry of Health plans to construct a 300-bed hospital at the new site in two phases at an estimated cost of Rs. 6 billion. The first phase will include medical, surgical, paediatric and maternity wards, operating theatres, an intensive care unit, accident and emergency facilities and a blood bank. Separate access roads for patients and official quarters for health staff have also been incorporated into the design.

Construction is expected to commence this year and be completed within three years. The new hospital has been designed as a modern, environmentally sustainable and disaster-resilient facility with provision for future expansion.