India Grants Rs. 600M for Medical Equipment at Deniyaya Base Hospital 🏥

India and Sri Lanka have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to supply state-of-the-art medical equipment to the Base Hospital in Deniyaya, strengthening the bilateral healthcare and development partnership. • Financial Framework: The project is funded via a Rs. 600 million grant from the Government of India. This initiative is part of India’s larger US$ 450 million assistance package dedicated to Sri Lanka's post-Cyclone Ditwah reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. • Strategic Relocation & Timeline: The Government of Sri Lanka is relocating the hospital as a comprehensive disaster preparedness measure, moving it away from its current disaster-prone location. The relocation is projected for completion within three years, with equipment installation synchronized with the final construction phases. • Scope of Equipment: The grant covers high-end medical equipment across multiple critical departments, including operating theaters, High Dependency Units (HDU), emergency and isolation units, laboratories, radiology, a blood bank, and a Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)/NICU. • Broader Economic Context: Healthcare cooperation remains a major pillar of India-Sri Lanka development ties, alongside past projects like the island-wide 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service and ongoing hospital upgrades in Mannar and Mullaitivu.