Today (26) the Chinese government has donated 08 mobile laboratory buses with the value of Rs. 600 million to Sri Lanka.
The Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mr. Qiu Shanhong officially handed over the mobile laboratory buses to the Minister of Health Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella at the Colombo National Hospital today.
These fully equipped mobile laboratories of international standard are provided to Regional Health Services Directorates in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Vavuniya, Ampara, Kurunegala, Trincomalee, Matale and Badulla districts.
The facilities of these mobile vehicles are similar to the laboratory facilities of a basic hospital in this country.
It is powered by electricity. But it has generator facilities that can be tested in areas where there is no electricity as well as when there is no electricity.
About 500 people can be tested daily through this, and kidney patients can be identified at the district level and local level.
Dr. Asanga V. Ranasinghe, director of the kidney disease prevention and testing unit, says that these mobile laboratories can also be used for laboratory work in emergency disaster situations such as Covid.
These mobile laboratories can employ a trained driver and two medical laboratory technicians.
So far, about 65,000 kidney patients of unknown cause have been reported in 10 districts across the country.
Meanwhile, the stock of drugs worth Rs. 650 million sent to Sri Lanka by the Chinese government was also handed over to the Minister of Health today by Mr. Qiu Shanhong, the Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka.
It was received in Sri Lanka as the 1st batch of the second phase of the Chinese subsidy program worth Rs. 5 billion.
The donation includes 17 types of essential medicines including vaccines to prevent rabies.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella, who spoke here, thanked the Chinese government and its people for making such high-profile donations to the health sector.
The minister also said that these donations are extremely important at a time when Sri Lanka has reached an unprecedented difficult time in its history.
He said that there are many friendly countries with Sri Lanka who know their needs and China is closer to them.
The Minister of Health said that although this is a huge donation, there is a high value that provides many priceless services.
The minister said that the support we receive from friendly countries around the world is more important and timely for us who are facing a crisis, and China, which has an ancient friendship of more than 65 to 70 years, has been with Sri Lanka continuously.
Mr. Qiu Shanhong, the Chinese Ambassador who spoke here, said that the health sector of Sri Lanka has developed very satisfactorily in the last few years and that the health sector of Sri Lanka has become successful in the face of challenges even in the face of global epidemics and other crisis situations.
He said that the dedication, endurance and effort of Sri Lankan citizens will be the key to overcome all these challenges and will be able to cross that challenging period in the economic crisis and life struggle.
