Sri Lanka expands cardiac surgery access and infrastructure

Sri Lanka is expanding its specialized cardiac care capabilities through new institutional agreements and significant infrastructure investments.

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU). This agreement aims to increase the availability of free cardiothoracic surgical procedures by utilizing the facilities at KDU Hospital, specifically targeting patients who cannot afford private sector costs.

In a separate development, the Cabinet has approved contracts exceeding Rs. 5 billion for the construction of new cardiac facilities. This includes a new cardiac unit at the Trincomalee District General Hospital and a cardiac and cardiothoracic surgery complex at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. These projects are part of a medical services improvement programme supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The contracts have been awarded to Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in these districts.