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Specialised geriatric hospital to open in Hendala
Un-utilised hospitals in provinces also to be turned into health care facilities for the elderly- Health Ministry
An elderly care health facility costing a massive Rs.1000 million is to be opened soon in Hendala to cater to the growing number of older citizens in the country, the Health Ministry said.
The facility which is being constructed on the site where the leprosy hospital stood will consist of around 200 rooms and will have state of the art facilities for acute care for the elderly.
The facility to be opened end of this year will have 200 health staff including doctors, nurses and physiotherapists.
Director, of Youth elderly and disabled, Dr. Ananda Jayalal said that the hospital will operate as a ‘centre of excellence’ and will provide acute care, convalescence and long term care to patients. A day care facility where patients could seek treatment will also be operated.
There are also plans to transform around 50 under-utilised hospitals in provinces into geriatric hospitals to enbale the elderly to seek treatment and care, closer home. In the Western Province alone 11 hospitals are being looked at to be turned into elderly care hospitals.
In addtion hospitals in Thalangama, Padduka, Athurugiriya, Kosgama, Hingiriya, Gonaduwa, Bandaragama, Pamanugama are to be turned into elderly care hospitals, the Health Ministry said.
These hospitals will enable senior citizens to seek treatment for mild ailments closer to home. However, geriatric patients with serious conditions should seek treatment at the Hendala hospital before they would be attended to and later transfered to geriatric hospitals closer to the patients’ homes. Only patients over 60 years would be eligible for this facility.