• NHSL's Institute of Neurology reopens

The Ministry of Health and Mass Media is set to provide five state-of-the-art mammography machines to major hospitals across the country in a move aimed at strengthening breast cancer detection and follow-up treatment services.

The new machines, used to detect breast cancer and other abnormalities in breast tissue at an early stage, will be installed at the National Hospitals of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo, Galle, and Kandy, the Teaching Hospital in Anuradhapura, and the National Cancer Institute (Apeksha Hospital) in Maharagama. 

Each machine is valued at Rs  153 m, bringing the total investment to Rs  765 m.

Funding has been provided through the Health System Enhancement Project (HSEP) with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In addition, the Ministry has arranged to provide two refurbished mammography machines to the District General Hospitals in Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya to address urgent service requirements.

At present, 16 mammography machines are in operation across the country. The addition of the seven new units will increase the total number to 23.

Meanwhile, the fully renovated Institute of Neurology at the Colombo NHSL will be reopened to the public today (1 June) following a refurbishment project costing Rs  99 m.

The Institute of Neurology provides diagnosis and treatment for conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscular system. The newly renovated Neurology Unit Ward Complex 62 and 63 will also be declared open. The complex consists of separate male and female wards with 22 beds each.

Of the total expenditure, Rs  52 m was allocated for renovating the ward complex. A further Rs  22 m was spent on refurbishing the physiotherapy unit on the ground floor, while Rs  25 m was used to modernise the speech therapy, occupational therapy and auditorium facilities on the third floor.