The Minister shared these details during a special inspection tour of the Wellawaya Base Hospital in the Monaragala district.
This initiative is part of a broader program launched by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media to identify deficiencies and provide immediate solutions to issues in hospitals governed under both the Central Government and Provincial Councils. The primary goal of this program is to systematically upgrade the state hospital system to provide high-quality, fully equipped patient care services.
During his visit to the Wellawaya Base Hospital, Minister Jayatissa closely inspected several key departments. These included the Outpatient Department (OPD), the clinic premises, wards, the pharmacy, the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU), the kitchen, the pharmaceutical store, the dialysis unit, the laboratory, and the blood bank, alongside several ongoing development projects.
Following his physical inspection of the premises, the Minister held a special discussion with the hospital management, medical specialists, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff. The healthcare personnel briefed the Minister extensively on the challenges they face while performing their duties. In response, Minister Jayatissa consulted relevant departments and officials to provide immediate, practical solutions on the spot for some of the issues raised.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister expressed his profound gratitude to the entire staff of the Wellawaya Base Hospital—from the specialist doctors to the health assistants—for their unwavering dedication to providing continuous medical care to the local community despite facing numerous shortcomings.
Minister Jayatissa pointed out that while the Wellawaya Base Hospital is categorized as a Grade-B Base Hospital, it currently lacks all the standard facilities mandated for this classification. He recalled that the Ministry of Health had classified each hospital in 2020 by documenting the exact number of specialists, required departments, staff strength, and essential equipment needed for each category. He stressed that the immediate priority must be to establish the fundamental infrastructure required for a standard Grade-B Base Hospital.
Furthermore, the Minister noted that the Ministry of Health has established a task force dedicated to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to prevent and control such conditions. However, he pointed out that because the units handling this task have been operating in isolation, the desired outcomes have not yet been achieved. He underscored the urgent need to introduce necessary structural reforms to better coordinate these units and streamline the task force's operations effectively.
