President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presided over the launch of two major healthcare infrastructure projects today (16) in the Northern and Eastern provinces, marking the start of construction on a new Cardiology Unit at the Trincomalee District General Hospital and an Accident and Emergency Unit at the Mannar District General Hospital.
Both projects, funded through foreign assistance, are aimed at expanding specialised medical care outside the Colombo region and bringing critical treatment services closer to communities that have historically had to travel long distances for such care.
The Trincomalee Cardiology Unit, being built at a cost of Rs. 2,403 million with financial support from the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Health and Medical Services Improvement Project, is intended to consolidate comprehensive cardiac diagnosis and treatment services for the people of the Eastern Province at a single facility.
The eight storey building will house modern operating theatres, outpatient services, inpatient treatment facilities and fully equipped laboratories, with construction scheduled for completion by May 2028.
New Accident and Emergency Unit for Mannar
In Mannar, construction has begun on a new Accident and Emergency Unit funded through a Rs. 600 million grant from the Government of India, with the facility expected to be fitted with modern equipment to strengthen emergency and trauma care services in the district.
The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2028, after which residents of Mannar will be able to access emergency trauma care and other specialised treatment without needing to travel to Colombo or other major cities.
Alongside the construction work, the government has already begun arrangements to provide the hospital with the medical equipment and trained staff needed to operate the new unit effectively.