A new Maternal High Dependency Unit (MHDU) and a four-storey ward complex aimed at strengthening maternal healthcare services were declared open this afternoon (16) at the De Zoysa Women’s Hospital under the patronage of Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Constructed at a cost of Rs. 249 million, the new facility includes a 10-bed High Dependency Unit on the ground floor and a 24-bed antenatal and postnatal ward on the first floor. The remaining two floors are expected to be completed by June next year, while plans are underway to build an additional five-storey facility for the hospital.
Following the opening, Minister Jayatissa inspected the newly built MHDU and ward complex, describing it as a long-needed enhancement to the country’s maternal healthcare system. He noted that De Zoysa Women’s Hospital, which handles between 3–5% of the country’s annual births, now houses the first dedicated intensive care unit in a maternity hospital in Sri Lanka.
He added that similar maternal intensive care units are planned for Kandy and Anuradhapura hospitals, along with four fully equipped delivery rooms in the new complex.
Established in 1879, De Zoysa Women’s Hospital is Sri Lanka’s first maternity hospital and the second oldest in Asia. For over 140 years, it has played a pioneering role in advancing maternal and child healthcare, continuing its legacy of compassion, innovation, and excellence in service to mothers and newborns.
