The Government, in collaboration with the Northern Provincial Council, has announced a comprehensive five-year development plan aimed at upgrading all regional hospitals in the districts of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Mannar, and Vavuniya. The initiative seeks to ensure that the rural population in the Northern Province gains access to high-quality and efficient healthcare services, according to Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Dr. Jayatissa made this announcement during an inspection tour of several hospitals in the Mannar District, including visits to the regional hospitals in Murunkan, Adampan, Vankalai, Nanattan and Silavathurai. At each hospital, he engaged directly with healthcare staff, inviting them to share concerns and propose solutions to existing challenges in service delivery.
Hospital personnel raised issues such as shortages of both material and human resources. In response, the Minister directed officials to formulate and implement short, medium, and long-term strategies to overcome these obstacles. It was also noted that both communicable and non-communicable diseases are on the rise in these regions.
Dr. Jayatissa emphasised the importance of expanding health education initiatives, advocating for nutritious and toxin-free diets, the implementation of standardised treatment protocols, and strengthening community-based healthcare interventions. He further instructed authorities to introduce targeted nutrition and awareness programmes for mothers, young children, and school-aged youth.
The Minister also reviewed the existing systems in place to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential medicines across Northern Province hospitals. Stressing that every patient should receive comprehensive treatment and care, he underscored the principle that recovery and wellness are shared responsibilities across all tiers of the healthcare system, regardless of administrative boundaries between provincial and central management.
Highlighting the strength of Sri Lanka’s free healthcare system, Dr. Jayatissa noted that the government allocates significant funding annually to maintain health services that, in many respects, rival those of developed nations.
The Northern Province is currently served by a healthcare network that includes one teaching hospital, four district general hospitals, ten base hospitals, 55 divisional hospitals, 48 regional hospitals, and 33 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) offices, catering to a population of approximately 1.2 million people.
The inspection tour also saw participation from Vavuniya District MP Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran, Northern Provincial Health Services Director Dr. Saman Pathirana, Mannar District Health Services Director Dr. Venodan Dharmarajan, as well as chief medical officers, administrators, specialists, nurses, allied health professionals, and hospital committee representatives.
