- Mahiyangana and Chilaw among the hardest-hit hospitals
- Field hospitals to be set up
A total of 500 hospitals were initially reported as affected by Cyclone Ditwah and the ensuing floods, including 33 State hospitals that suffered severe damage, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (07), he said that he had appointed a committee to assess the damage caused to State hospitals by the extreme weather conditions. He said that an initial list of 500 affected hospitals had been identified, of which 33 State hospitals were severely affected.
Dr. Jasinghe noted that the Health Ministry had to receive a report from the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) to be able to recommence the clearing and functions of some of the affected hospitals and their units.
He added that some of the most severely affected facilities were the District General Hospital (DGH) Chilaw, Base Hospital (BH) Mahiyangana, and the Divisional Hospital Wattegama. He said that the BH Mahiyangana had been evacuated due to flooding. “However, the outpatient department (OPD) and the primary care units of both DGH Chilaw and BH Mahiyangana remained operational,” he said.
High-value equipment of the DGH Chilaw, including the computed tomography (CT) scanner and the endoscopy machine, had also been submerged. During an inspection tour, Dr. Jasinghe had reviewed all sections of the Hospital, including the OPD, clinic premises, wards, pharmacy, Emergency Treatment Unit, kitchen, drug stores, blood transfusion unit, operating theatre complex, laboratory, blood bank, X-ray unit, CT unit, medical officers’ quarters, staff accommodation, and the nurses’ hostel.
During his visit to DGH Chilaw, Dr. Jasinghe held discussions with specialist doctors, medical officers, and health staff, seeking their views on the phased operational plan for future service delivery.
He said that the Bio-Medical Engineering Unit of the Health Ministry was currently exploring the possibility of repairing the damaged equipment. However, he noted that it would not be difficult to procure some of the equipment as funds were available.
Dr. Jasinghe added that arrangements had been made for medical teams from India and Japan to establish field hospitals in Mahiyangana and Chilaw respectively.