Radiation treatment centre to be set up in North

Monday, 23 April 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government is to implement a project called Trail Project to build a Pediatric High Dependency Unit at the Tellipallai Base Hospital in Jaffna district for pediatric cancer patients needing treatment.

Although the Jaffna Teaching Hospital has basic cancer treatment facilities and two wards allocated for males and females, it lacks sufficient infrastructure facilities to provide quality healthcare services to cancer patients in the Northern Province and the need for a pediatric facility has arisen.A proposal submitted by the Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena to build the radiation facility with the cooperation of the Colours of Courage Trust (COC) charity organisation has received cabinet approval to proceed further. The Cabinet has given the nod to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Ministry of Northern Province, National Health Development Fund and the COC Trust to implement Trail Project in the Northern Province with US$ 2 million financial assistance from the COC.

The COC last July initiated a historic journey across Sri Lanka from the southernmost tip of Dondra Point to the northernmost tip of Point Pedro, in a bid to raise the US$ 2 million.

The trail covered a distance of 670km in the span of 27 days.

The proposed Cancer Center will benefit patients in the Northern, North Western, North Central and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, who at present have to make a day-long trip to the only cancer treatment facility, National Cancer Institute, in Maharagama.