India has provided a grant of Rs. 600 million for the construction of a new Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit at the District General Hospital in Mannar.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project was signed in Colombo on September 9 by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe, in the presence of Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa.
The initiative will see the construction of a two-storey A&E unit equipped with modern medical facilities. Officials said the new unit will address a critical gap in emergency care in Mannar by enabling life-saving medical interventions during the golden hour while also easing the burden on existing hospital beds.
This project is part of India’s wider cooperation in Sri Lanka’s health sector, which already includes the Suwa Seriya 1990 ambulance service, support for hospitals in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Batticaloa, as well as the 150-bed multi-specialty hospital in Dickoya.
Future projects under consideration include expanding the ambulance service and constructing a four-storey ward complex at Mullaitivu.
