Nawaloka in joint venture with world’s third largest laboratory chain

Nawaloka Hospitals, Sri Lanka's first fully fledged private hospital has entered into a joint venture with Metropolis Health Services [India] Pvt. Ltd, bringing cutting edge diagnostic services previously unavailable in Sri Lanka.

It is also the very first Reference Laboratory to be set up in Sri Lanka. One of Asia's leading laboratory chains and the world's third largest, Metropolis has received accreditation from the International Organization for Standardization, the College of American Pathologists and the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratries of India. Metropolis Laboratories offers one of the widest test menus in the region - more than 3600, ranging from routine to esoteric. At Metropolis, Gold Standard techniques and US FDA / CE certified equipment and kits are used exclusively. Metropolis is also the first pathology laboratory in India to develop a comprehensive Laboratory Information Management System [LIMS].

Nawaloka Metropolis is a state of the art facility located on 5000 square feet within the hospital premises. Nawaloka Metropolis Laboratories offer routine, semi speciality and super speciality testing, for which purpose hitherto samples had to be sent to Europe. "Apart from the existing automated analysers required for biochemistry, immuno assay and haematology, this state of the art facility now has fully automated analysers for automated cultures and tuberculosis cultures, automated systems for identification of organisms and susceptibility, coagulation systems and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate tests" said Director / General Manager Nawaloka Hospitals, Professor Lal Chandrasena.

The laboratory is equipped with Versatrek which is a fully automated culture system for Rapid Cultures, TB Cultures, Fungal Cultures and Blood Cultures, available in Sri Lanka for the very first time. Also new to Sri Lanka is Dade Behring, a fully automated Bio Chemistry Analyzer, which has the capacity of performing more than 1500 tests simultaneously, with a faster turn around reporting time.

As a result of this association with Metropolis Laboratories, Nawaloka Hospitals have extended their laboratory services to all their Medical Centres in Battaramulla, Kiribathgoda, Borella, Wattala and Mt. Lavinia, while Nawaloka Metropolis Laboratories have a presence at the Ruhunu Hospital in Galle [ managed by Nawaloka Hospitals], Kandy, Negombo and Kalubowila.

Nawaloka Metropolis Laboratories also operate a mobile service which is functional 7 days of the week and offers the full range of diagnostic services.

Manned by over 100 trained and qualified professional staff, Ajay Johri of Metropolis Laboratories India has been appointed Country Manager for Sri Lanka, handling International Business, with a mandate to expand the services of Nawaloka Metropolis.

"With the widest test menu available in the region, an established reputation for accuracy, the best and latest equipment and automated processes in place, Nawaloka Metropolis Laboraties are committed to offerring a superior and unmatched service" said Johri. Furthermore, Johri said that as a result of the cutting edge technologies installed at Nawaloka Metropolis Laboratories, laboratory test results are available online, thus making delivery routes are faster and more efficient.

With a reputation of a number of firsts to its credit such as the very first Intensive Care Unit in a private hospital, the first to introduce the CT Scanner in July 1987, the first Mammography Unit in 1992, the first Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Surgery in April 1993, the first Cardiac Cathetarisation Laboratory as well as the first Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Unit in a private hospital in August 1994, and the first MRI Scanner in December 1995, the addition of the Nawaloka Metropolis Laboratories are bound to further establish Nawaloka Hospitals as the premier healthcare establishment in the country.

The Hospital also has the distinction of being the only one to win the Sri Lanka National Quality Award in 1998. They went on to become the only ISO certified hospital in November 2000, in which year they also won the 'Baby Friendly Hospital' award from the WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund. In 2001 Nawaloka Hospitals were awarded the ISO 9002 quality certification and in 2004 the ISO 9001 : 2000 certification, going on to win the Business Excellence award in 2005, as well as the award for Excellence in Annual Reports, also in 2005. In 2004 the Company became a public quoted company.