May 24, Colombo (LNW): Cabinet approval has been granted to elevate Karapitiya Teaching Hospital to the status of a national hospital, making it the third in Sri Lanka. This decision was announced by Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana at a press conference held on May 23 at the Government Information Department.
The proposal, presented by Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, includes renaming the facility as ‘Galle National Hospital’. With this change, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital will join Colombo and Kandy National Hospitals as a key institution in the country’s healthcare system.
Karapitiya Teaching Hospital serves as the primary tertiary health center for the Southern Province and nearby regions, offering specialized services except for maternal treatment. The hospital is a referral center for primary and secondary healthcare institutions within these provinces.
The hospital also plays a significant role in medical education. It houses the Professors’ unit for Ruhuna University’s Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences Faculty, providing teaching and training facilities to approximately 1,100 undergraduate medical students, 500 nursing students from Galle Nursing Training School, and about 100 physiotherapists, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians annually.
Minister Gunawardhana noted that by the end of this year, the hospital’s bed capacity will increase to 2,858, making it the second-largest tertiary care health center in Sri Lanka, following the Colombo National Hospital.
