News
Birth of ‘Suraksha’ at Negombo Hospital boon to little ones
No fanfare has accompanied the opening of the state-of-the-art Suraksha Children’s Centre at the Negombo District General Hospital.
With the hospital playing a prominent role in treating a majority of the men, women and children caught in the Easter Sunday bomb blast at Katuwapitiya’s St. Sebastian’s Church on April 21, the transfer of patients from their temporary ward to the Children’s Centre had been low key.
That was the soft opening on April 29, while the formal opening is next Thursday (June 13).
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- Ahome away from home: State-of-the-art Suraksha Children’s Centre at the Negombo District General Hospital
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- Procedure room
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- Well equipped and airy wards
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- Consultation room with a children-friendly look
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- Large cartoon sketches of animals and trees brighten up the lobby area. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
For many who visit the Children’s Centre, “wow” and disbelief are the responses – that there could be such a place in a state hospital, even though state hospitals now have very good facilities.
For all those children between the ages of 0 to 14 who seek treatment at the Negombo Hospital, the Children’s Centre may be more than a home away from home.
When the Sunday Times visited what had been the old, run-down ward, the metamorphosis due to the generosity of a business family in the area – owners of Melwire Rolling (Pvt.) Ltd., the products of which are known as MELWA – is amazing.
The brand-new two-storey building, with provision to go a further three floors up was a hive of activity, with all the furniture and equipment being put in place.
The ground and first floors are two wards, with 50 beds each.
A large lobby-like space greets those who walk in with vibrantly-coloured fish swimming around in a large tank, hidden behind which is a play area. The entry area walls have large cartoon sketches of animals and trees.
Airy and spacious, the interior of the two floors are in soothing and comforting light blues and greens, the floor tiled and every area equipped with fans aplenty, beds and stainless steel side-cupboards for every little patient. Not just gifted is the thought that crosses the mind of any visitor, as all sharp edges have been made safe, so as not to be a danger to the children.
The second floor, still in the making, is to be a Child Development Clinic where therapies and other interventions will be provided.
“The Children’s Centre is not just a ward,” smiles Consultant Paediatrician Dr. LakKumar Fernando, explaining that it is a ‘complex’ for children, including a lovely admission area, conference room and much more. “Every little detail has been looked into and all facilities and needs provided.”
The donors’ active engagement was obvious before the soft opening – they too were there along with the workers, coordinating with Dr. Fernando and Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Himali Wijesinghe in putting in place all the stuff.
Within the Children’s Centre also nestles two nine-bed High Dependency Units (HDUs) on the ground and first floors. One bed each in the two HDUs is a ‘Resuscitation Bed’.
There is also an isolation room and a procedure room for nebulization and injections with the sting being taken off by the numerous toys that the children can play with.
All these areas have access to wall oxygen, taking away the need for oxygen to be taken around physically.
There are many toilets including one for children with special needs and some demarcated for diarrhoeal patients to keep the infection rate down.
The play area has a bookshelf which will be stacked with interesting publications, a visitors’ room with comfortable seating, a conference room with TV, a doctor’s room et al.
This is while there is a separate drug storage room and also a linen room, with all the bed linen being provided by the donors and even the laundry being handled by them.
Meanwhile, the focus has not only been internal alone, with a beautiful garden taking shape outside.
| Melwa on silent service Providing a silent service to the area where they were born and bred, the owners of the MELWA company, when contacted, shied away from publicity. “We are giving back to society, in whatever way we can,” said a company source who wished to remain anonymous. MELWA is into the steel and leisure industries. When asked how the Suraksha Children’s Centre came about, the source said that some time ago they donated some items to the Negombo Hospital’s Children’s Ward during the height of the dengue epidemic. They saw the overcrowding there as a flood of little patients came in, and two or three children occupying a single bed. “We really felt bad,” the source said and when the MELWA Directors discussed the matter, there was wholehearted agreement that the company would extend a helping hand to the Negombo Children’s Ward. …….And so, the Suraksha Children’s Centre is born. The company has also offered to carry out long-term maintenance of the centre as well as provide security.
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