U.S. to upgrade health care facilities in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka

25 November 2011: The United States government on 22 November 2011) has handed over three newly-constructed wards and a renovated administrative unit, along with much-needed furniture, to the Karadiyanaru Divisional Hospital in Batticaloa of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombo in a statement said that the Embassy's development arm, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), funded the project to upgrade the facility. The upgraded facility is expected to provide accessible, quality health care to 35 in-patients and 150 out-patients daily. The cost of this entire project is estimated at approximately $577,000 (Rs 65.8 million).

However, all units, including wards, laboratory, emergency treatment and doctors' quarters, continued to be in one building. The hospital has sustained damage during the conflict and suffered additional damage from an explosion at the nearby Karadiyanaru Police building in 2010.

Source: ColomboPage