India-funded surgical unit inaugurated at Batticaloa Teaching Hospital

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Sri Lanka Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Gunaratna Mahipala jointly inaugurated the newly constructed surgical unit at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital on 4 November. 

Batticaloa Government Agent Muralidharan, Eastern Provincial Health Secretary and Batticaloa Municipal Commissioner Sivalingam, Batticaloa Teaching Hospital Director Dr. Kalaranchane Ganeshalingam, senior officials from the Health Ministry of Sri Lanka, Eastern Provincial Council and Batticaloa District administration, and staff of the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, among others, attended the event.

The need for a new surgical ward was identified at the hospital around 2015 due to the escalating number of patients admitted to wards, and the growing number of surgeries performed. At the time of the proposal, approximately 1,280 patients were on waiting lists for surgeries. Due to the hospital’s limited facilities, patients had to face excessive waiting times. 

At the request of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of India agreed to extend assistance for the construction of the new surgical unit. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in February 2016 for grant assistance from India of Rs. 275 million towards the project. Subsequently, the Government of India infused additional funds, taking the total Indian commitment to Rs. 302 million for the project.

The scope of the project encompassed construction of a two-story building with an approximate total floor area of 1,464 square metres, with four state-of-the-art operation theatres and 10 ICU beds, along with essential infrastructure such as IT work, mechanical work, electrical work, and water supply and drainage systems.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic and economic difficulties in the country posed some challenges over the course of the project, the original scope of work was recently completed, which was followed by testing and commissioning of the facility. In addition, based on requests from hospital authorities, the Government of India approved and executed several additional elements, such as integrating components including generators, medical gas, and electrical systems from the neighbouring renal care unit into the new surgical unit.

At the inauguration ceremony Dr. Mahipala conveyed the gratitude of the Government of Sri Lanka to the Government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India for the project, which fulfils a significant requirement in unimpeded provision of critical medical services by the hospital. 

In this regard, Dr. Ganeshalingam highlighted that the newly built surgical unit is expected to reduce 50% of the waiting lists for surgeries, and benefit 3,000 to 5,000 new patients each year, thus considerably improving access to quality healthcare services in the region.

High Commissioner Jha highlighted various proposed, planned, and ongoing bilateral projects—both investment-led and grant assistance-based—in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Eastern Province. 

On the investment front, he cited the development of tank farms, the solar power plant in Sampur, and the multiproduct pipeline. 

On the development assistance front, he recalled the construction and renovation of 4,000 houses in the Eastern Province under the first two phases of the Indian Housing Project, which encompassed a total of 46,000 houses; treatment at Indian emergency medical units to thousands of patients in 2009-10 in the aftermath of the armed conflict; livelihood sustenance assistance extended from time to time to the fishing community of the Province; rail-bus service set up between Trincomalee and Batticaloa; projects for infrastructure upgradation and equipment supply carried out at over 500 educational centres, including the Eastern University and vocational training centres at Vantharamullai and Onthachimadam; support provided to empowerment of women through livelihood activities; and financial assistance being extended to students at the Eastern University from economically weaker sections of society, among other salient initiatives.

The High Commissioner also underscored that last year, India has committed to a new package of multi-sectoral grant assistance of around Rs. 2.35 billion for the Eastern Province. A framework for cooperation on 33 livelihood sustenance projects is close to being finalised under the package.

The newly inaugurated surgical unit at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital adds to a long list of development cooperation initiatives of India in Sri Lanka in the health sector, a few salient examples of which include the islandwide 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service; medical assistance rendered in the wake of the armed conflict, as well as, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic; construction of a 150-bed multi-specialty hospital at Dickoya; and infrastructure creation and upgradation, as well as equipment supply, at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and District Hospitals at Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, among others.