President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa this morning (11) declared open the China-Sri Lanka Friendship National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa.
At the request of former President Maithripala Sirisena during his visit to China in 2015, Sri Lanka received the hospital complex as a full grant from the Chinese government.
The hospital complex is built on ancient Chinese and Sri Lankan architecture and is spread over an area of 16 acres. The cost of the project is Rs. 12 billion and the time taken for the construction is 30 months.
It has five operating theaters with modern facilities for kidney transplants and accommodates 200 patients.
The number of intensive care beds is 20. It includes a 100-machine blood transfusion unit, a kidney patient clinic complex, state-of-the-art laboratories, radiation and CT scan services, and a modern auditorium. A car park with a capacity of 300 vehicles and hostel facilities have been designed for all the hospital staff.
The Director of the Polonnaruwa General Hospital, Dr. M. K. Sampath Indika Kumara explained the role of the hospital. The President and the invited guests inspected the hospital complex including the blood transfusion unit, the operating theater and the intensive care unit.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, North Central Province Governor Mahipala Herath, State Ministers Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Channa Jayasumana, Roshan Ranasinghe, Siripala Gamlath, Members of Parliament Amarakeerthi Athukorala, Secretary to the President, Surendran Retired Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Chi. Mr. and Mrs. Cheng Hong were also present at the occasion.
