## 🏥 Swiss Foundation Donates Rs. 200Mn Angiography System to Karapitiya Hospital

A state-of-the-art Philips Azurion 3M12 angiography machine, donated by the Heart Clinic Foundation of Switzerland, was officially handed over to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital to bolster healthcare infrastructure in the Southern Province. • Investment & Logistics: The system is valued at over Rs. 200 million. The Ministry of Health contributed Rs. 55 million in customs duties, while the hospital invested Rs. 25 million for infrastructure to house the unit. • Operational Capacity: This marks the second operational Cardiac Catheterisation laboratory at Karapitiya, making it the only state hospital outside Colombo with two functioning Cath labs. • Impact on Healthcare: Service Reach: Serves a population of 2.7 million in the Southern Province, plus residents of Sabaragamuwa and Uva. Waitlist Reduction: Expected to reduce the current cardiac treatment waiting list to approximately one year (down from longer periods). Medical Advancement: Allows for minimally invasive interventions, helping patients avoid high-risk open-heart surgeries. • National Context: While there are 15 angiography machines in the government sector, only about 8 are typically operational. The Ministry of Health aims to bridge this gap by acquiring 11 additional machines next year to strengthen the medical services sector and improve human capital health. • Strategic Partnership: The donation was facilitated through collaboration between the Heart Clinic Foundation of Zurich and the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka, highlighting the role of international grants in supporting Sri Lanka’s social infrastructure.